Urophycis tenuis (Mitchill 1814)

Upper limb or first gill arch with 2 (rarely 3) rakers. First dorsal in with an elongated ray. Body color variable, dorsally various dark shades, paler laterally, sometimes bronze, belly pale dirty to yellow white; pelvic fin pale. A dusky blotch present on the opercle.

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

Found on soft, muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and upper slope. It is mostly found at 180 m (Ref. 4587); prefers 5-11°C (Ref. 5951). Mature fish migrate inshore in the northern Gulf of Maine in summer, disperse in autumn, and move into deepest areas in winter (Ref. 4587). Feeds on fishes like clupeids (especially Atlantic herring) and gadids (mainly silver hake, red hake and longfin hake; Atlantic mackerel, argentines and wrymouth); crustaceans (particularly pandalid shrimps). Parasites of the species include 2 protozoans, 3 myxosporidians, 1 trematode, 1 nematode (sealworm, Phocanema decipiens) and 1 copepod (Ref. 5951). See also Ref. 8999.

Found on soft, muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and upper slope. It is mostly found at 180 m. Mature fish migrate inshore in the northern Gulf of Maine in summer, disperse in autumn, and move into deepest areas in winter. Feed on small crustaceans, squids and small fish. Utilized fresh, smoked or frozen; eaten steamed, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988). Exported to Europe (Ref. 9988).

fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes; price category: low; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species