Malacocephalus laevis (Lowe 1843)

Head uniformly scaled, including the mandibles and the ventral aspects of the snout and suborbital. Snout blunt, its tip with a conical tubercle. The trunk is short, the body tapers abruptly from behind the first dorsal fin. The caudal fin is absent.

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 229; Analspines: 0

Found on continental slopes (Ref. 1371, 75154). Feeds on pelagic crustaceans (Ref. 58748).

Found on continental slopes (Ref. 1371). Utilized mainly for fishmeal and oil (Ref. 1371). In the past, fishers in the North Atlantic were reported to have used the luminescent excretion from the ventral light organ to enhance baits used for cod fishing (Ref. 1371).

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: medium; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family