Oilfish
Sign in to savethumb|An oilfish 1000–3000 meters deep at Johnston Atoll Oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus) are a species of snake mackerel with a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and temperate oceans. They can be found at depths from , but most often between . Oilfish can grow to a length of , though most do not exceed . It is the only known member of its genus.
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Description
- Habitat and ecology
- Human use
- ParknShop oilfish incident
- See also
- References
thumb|An oilfish 1000–3000 meters deep at Johnston Atoll Oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus) are a species of snake mackerel with a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and temperate oceans. They can be found at depths from , but most often between . Oilfish can grow to a length of , though most do not exceed . It is the only known member of its genus.
== Description == Oilfish are large, fusiform fish which often grow to and a maximum of . Other distinctive features of this fish include the large fangs, rough scales, two pairs of finlets, and a uniformly brown coloration. Oilfish meat is extremely oily, containing high lipid concentrations. Though edible, the oil mainly consists of wax esters, which makes the meat act as a laxative if consumed in large quantities.