Greater Forkbeard

Pelvic fin rays extremely elongated, reaching well beyond the origin of the anal fin. First dorsal fin with an elongate ray. Body color is brown to red-gray dorsally, becoming paler ventrally.

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Analspines: 0

Occurred in demersal trawls in the 500-750 m bathymetric zones in the Rockall Trough (Ref. 34143).

Depth range from 10-800 m (Ref. 1371) and from 300-1047 m in the eastern Ionian Sea (Ref. 56504). Found over sand and mud bottoms (Ref. 1371). Young more coastal and found on the continental shelf while adults migrate along the slope (Ref. 1371). Feed mainly on crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 1371). Commonly less than 45 cm TL (Ref. 1371). Marketed fresh, also as fillets and fishmeal (Ref. 1371).

fisheries: commercial

Phycis blennoides, the greater forkbeard, is a species of fish belonging to the family Phycidae.

It is native to Europe, Northern Africa, Northern America.