Atlantic wreckfish

Taxobox
name = Atlantic wreckfish
status = DD | status_system = IUCN3.1
trend = unknown

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image_caption = From plate 66 of "Oceanic Ichthyology" by G. Brown Goode and Tarleton H. Bean, published 1896.
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Polyprionidae
genus = "Polyprion"
species = "P. americanus"
binomial = "Polyprion americanus"
binomial_authority = (Bloch and Schneider, 1801)

The Atlantic wreckfish, "Polyprion americanus", is a marine, , and fish in the family Polyprionidae. It is found in the Eastern and Western Atlantic Ocean, Western Indian Ocean, and in the Southwest Pacific Ocean.

Atlantic wreckfish are deep-water fish and can be found on the ocean bottom at depths between 40 and 600 m (130 to 2,000 ft), where they inhabit caves and shipwrecks (thus their name). They are largely a solitary fish, however juveniles will school below floating objects. Wreckfish are oviparous fish that spawn in the summer. They do not guard their eggs or young. Also known as Stone Bass, because it inhabits rocky ledges and wrecksThe diet of Atlantic wreckfish consists mainly of large ocean cephalopods, crustaceans, and other bottom-dwelling fishes. The fish are most important as a game fish, reaching a maximum reported length of 210 cm (7 ft) and weight of 100 kg (220 lb). They are also occasionally sold commercially both fresh and frozen.

References

*FishBase_species_alt|ID=349|taxon=Polyprion americanus|year=2005|month=May
*ITIS|ID=167914|taxon=Polyprion americanus|year=2005|date=July 6
*IUCN|author=Sadovy, Y.|title=Polyprion americanus|year=2003|ID=43972|IUCN_Year=2004