Orange Roughy

Orange Roughy

This is what New Zealand Orange Roughy looks like.

Name: Orange Roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus)

Family: Trachichthyidae (Slimeheads)

Order: Beryciformes (sawbellies)

Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

Alternative Name: Orange roughy

Max size: 75.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 36696); max. published weight: 7,000 g (Ref. 36697); max. reported age: 149 years

Environment: Bathypelagic; oceanodromous; marine ; depth range 180 - 1809 m

Climate: Deep-water; 3 - 9°C; 65°N - 56°S

Importance: Fisheries: Highly commercial

Resilience: Very low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.04-0.06; tm=5-12; tmax=130; Fec=10,000)

Distribution: Western Atlantic: Gulf of Maine (Ref. 4784) [in error according to Moore (Fishes of the Gulf of Maine, in press), should be off northern Nova Scotia ]. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland to Morocco; Walvis Bay, Namibia to off Durban, South Africa. Indo-Pacific: south-central Indian Ocean and New Zealand. Eastern Pacific: Chile (Ref. 27363). Several stocks may exist as suggested by distinct spawning sites and seasons.

Diagnosis: Dorsal spines (total): 4-6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-19; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 10-12. Bright brick-red in color, mouth and gill cavity bluish black (Ref. 4181). Ventral scutes: 19-25.?

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