Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and flatheads) >
Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads) > Sebastinae
Etymology: Helicolenus: Greek, helike, -es = spiral + Greek, lenos, -ou = cavity (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 50 - 1100 m (Ref. 41452), usually 150 - 600 m (Ref. 84778). Deep-water; 70°N - 46°S
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 32.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 47.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 41333); common length : 25.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4510); max. published weight: 1.6 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 43 years (Ref. 41452)
Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada to Venezuela. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland (Ref. 12462) and Norway to the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Guinea, including Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands; also Walvis Bay, Namibia to Natal, South Africa (Ref. 4313).
Found in soft bottom areas of the continental shelf and upper slope. Feed on both benthic and pelagic organisms (crustaceans, fishes, cephalopods, and echinoderms) (Ref. 4570). From Ref. 36265, "Blackbelly rosefish have intraovarian gestation. Fertilization is internal, as free spermatozoa were found primarily in resting ovaries from July through early December with peak occurrence in September through November in the Western Atlantic. There was a delay of 1-3 months before fertilization, as oocyte development did not begin until December. Occurrence during January through April of early-celled embryos, the most advanced stage observed, and postovulatory follicles indicated that oocyte development was rapid. Egg development occurs in a clear gelatinous matrix secreted into the ovarian cavity. The reproductive mode is a zygoparous form of oviparity, intermediate between oviparity and viviparity" (pers. com). Larvae and juveniles are pelagic (Ref. 4570). Anterolateral glandular grooves with venom gland (Ref. 57406). Sold fresh (Ref. 27121).
Eschmeyer, W.N. and L.J. Dempster, 1990. Scorpaenidae. p. 665-679. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5010 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01023 (-0.04659 - 0.06705), b=3.11356 (3.07423 - 3.15290), based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.8 ±0.6 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.06-0.2; tm=13-16; tmax=43).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (52 of 100) .
