Argyropelecus hemigymnus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	STOMIIFORMES	STERNOPTYCHIDAE

Scientific Name:

Argyropelecus hemigymnus

Species Authority:

Cocco, 1829

Common Name/s:

English	–	Axefish, Common Hatchetfish, Half-naked Hatchetfish, Hatchet Fish, Heath's Hatchet Fish, Silver Hatchetfish, Spurred Hatchetfish
Spanish	–	Pez Hacha, Pez Hacha Ganchudo

Synonym/s:

Argyripnus hemigymnus (Cocco, 1829)

Argyropelecus durvillei Valenciennes, 1849

Argyropelecus d'Urvillei Valenciennes, 1849

Argyropelecus heathi Gilbert, 1905

Argyropelecus hemigymmus Cocco, 1829

Argyropelecus hemigymnos Cocco, 1829

Argyropelecus intermedius Clarke, 1878

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2010
Assessor/s:	Harold, A.S.
Reviewer/s:	Collen, B., Richman, N., Beresford, A., Chenery, A. & Ram, M.
Contributor/s:	De Silva, R., Milligan, H., Lutz, M., Batchelor, A., Jopling, B., Kemp, K., Lewis, S., Lintott, P., Sears, J., Wilson, P. & Smith, J. and Livingston, F.
Justification: The Half-naked Hatchetfish, Argyropelecus hemigymnus, has been assessed as Least Concern. This species has a wide global distribution and is not known to face any major threats due to its deepwater nature. In addition there is no dorected commercial fishery due to its small size and the depths at which it is found. The population numbers are likely to be stable.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Half-naked Hatchetfish (Argyropelecus hemigymnus) is distributed through the eastern Pacific, and both the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean. In the eastern Atlantic, it is found from north of the British Isles to South Africa; in the western Atlantic it is found from New Jersey, USA to Argentina. In the Pacific it occurs throughout the California Current area.
Countries:	Native: Albania; Algeria; Angola (Angola); Argentina; Australia; Belize; Benin; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Brazil; Cameroon; Cape Verde; Chile; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cuba; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Falkland Islands (Malvinas); France; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Gibraltar; Greece; Greenland; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Liberia; Libya; Mauritania; Monaco; Morocco; Namibia; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Nigeria; Norway; Papua New Guinea; Portugal; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; United Kingdom; United States; Western Sahara
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Atlantic – western central; Atlantic – northeast; Atlantic – eastern central; Atlantic – southwest; Atlantic – southeast; Atlantic – northwest; Indian Ocean – western; Indian Ocean – eastern; Mediterranean and Black Sea; Pacific – southeast; Pacific – northeast; Pacific – northwest; Pacific – eastern central; Pacific – western central; Pacific – southwest
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	There is no population information available for this species.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The Half-naked Hatchetfish is a bathypelagic species which occurs at depths of up to 2,400 m. During the day this species occurs at a depth range of 200 - 700 m but is concentrated at 350 - 550 m. At night it occurs at depths of 100 - 650 m but prefers a depth range of 150 - 380 m. Adults make daily vertical migrations up the water column, rising at dusk to feed on copepods and small fish. It will spawn multiple times during a season, producing planktonic eggs.
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

The Half-naked Hatchetfish is a bathypelagic species which occurs at depths of up to 2,400 m. During the day this species occurs at a depth range of 200 - 700 m but is concentrated at 350 - 550 m. At night it occurs at depths of 100 - 650 m but prefers a depth range of 150 - 380 m. Adults make daily vertical migrations up the water column, rising at dusk to feed on copepods and small fish. It will spawn multiple times during a season, producing planktonic eggs.

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Due to its deep-water nature and small size, it is unlikely that this species is being impacted upon by any major threat processes.

Major Threat(s):

Due to its deep-water nature and small size, it is unlikely that this species is being impacted upon by any major threat processes.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There are no known species-specific conservation measures in place, or needed, for the Half-naked Hatchetfish.

Conservation Actions:

There are no known species-specific conservation measures in place, or needed, for the Half-naked Hatchetfish.

Citation:	Harold, A.S. 2010. Argyropelecus hemigymnus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.
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