Blackbelly rosefish

Blaumäulchen ( Helicolenus dactylopterus )

The Blaumäulchen or blue mouth ( Helicolenus dactylopterus ) is a marine fish along the coasts of the northern Atlantic Ocean, to the west of Nova Scotia to Venezuela, in the east of Iceland to Norway, on the western coasts of the British Isles, Madeira, the Azores, the coast West Africa appears to South Africa and in the Mediterranean.

Features

Blaumäulchen be up to 47 centimeters long, but usually remain at a length of 25 centimeters. The maximum published weight is 1.55 kg, the maximum age of 43 years. They are less high backs than the closely related Sebastes spp. They are of a reddish color. Y-shaped dark bands extending between the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin and the anal fin. The lower eight rays of the pectoral fins are partly free and not connected to each other by fin membrane. The name derives from the blue-black cave mouth.

Way of life

Blaumäulchen live close to the ground on the continental shelf on soft bottoms at depths of 50-1100 m, usually below 150 meters. They feed on crustaceans, fish, cephalopods and echinoderms.

Reproduction

As the Sebastes species have Blaumäulchen internal fertilization and are viviparous. Free sperm were found from July to early December in the ovaries. Fertilization occurs one to three months later. Embryo in the early stage have been observed from January to April. The larvae are born from March to July. You and the pelagic juveniles initially live.

Use

Blaumäulchen are of little economic importance and rather random bycatch when fishing for redfish.