Oder Beryciformes Family Berycidae(Alfonsinos) Alfonsino Beryx decadactylus(Cuvier, 1829) Max length/100.0 cm TL, common length : 35.0 cm TL. Korean name/geum-nun-dom(금눈돔) Japanese name/ナンヨウキンメ(Nan'youkinme;난요킨메) Chinese name/大目金眼鯛(대목금안조) D/spine 4 soft ray18~20. A/spine 4 soft ray 25~30. P1/15~18. P2/spine 1, soft ray 8~11, Lateral line scale/52~62
Distribution; Widely distributed in temperate and subtropical seas around the world except for the eastern Pacific. Indo-Pacific/Wonsan, Busan, Jeju Island of Korean peninsula, central and southern Japan, Taiwan, Bali in Indonesia, eastern Australia including Tasmania, New Zealand, Tonga, North Pacific of northwest of Midway Island, Hawaii, South Africa, Madagascar, Eastern Atlantic/Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Ireland, Iberian Peninsula, Western Mediterranean, Central North Atlantic, South Africa, Western Atlantic/From the Atlantic coast of the United States to Brazil and Argentina. Because Alfonsino live in deep water, the possibility to be collected in fishing is limited. Therefore, it will be more widely distributed than the records of the place where it was found. General; The alfonsino (Beryx decadactylus), also known as the alfonsin, longfinned beryx, red bream, or imperador. Meaning of the Korean name is equivalent to “gold eyed bream”, given because the eye is large with golden luster. The alfonsino has deep, severely compressed oval body, 1.9–2.5 times its standard length at the greatest depth. The anus is located below the 1-2 soft rays of the dorsal fin and is in front of the origin of the anal fin. The origin of anal fin is located below 3-5 soft rays of dorsal fin. Anal fin base is longer than dorsal fin base. The anal fin is distinctly larger than in many fish species. The posterior end of anal fin base reaches beyond the posterior end of dorsal fin base. Caudal fin is deeply forked. The rear end of the pectoral fin passes the origin of the anal fin far beyond the anus. The pelvic fin is located on the abdomen and slightly passes the origin of the anal fin.
Snout length shorter than eye diameter. The lower jaw is slightly longer than the upper jaw. Four pairs of spines on head: on nasal, lachrymal, frontal and lower cheek. The spine of lacrimal bone is located on the upper jaw, sharp, pointed and projecting backwards. Preopercle edge without spines. The back of the upper jaw passes through the middle of the eye but does not go beyond the posterior edge of the eye. Villi-like teeth on both jaws, vomer and palatal bone. The lateral line is complete, slightly curved at the upper part of the pectoral fin and straight in the rest. Each scale on head side and on body surface has small spine, and the scale itself is strongly attached to body surface, giving it rough and tough feel to the touch overall. It has no luminous organs.
Overall body color is red or crimson. Occasionally, the lower part of the body may become lighter in color and appear pinkish. All fins are red. Fins and the inside of the mouth are bright red. Fish living in deep water usually have red color, which is a color adapted to the deep water environment. In deep water, the red color of the solar spectrum is filtered out first and disappears, so it becomes invisible and camouflage color that can hide the body. This red color appears when ascending to shallow water or receiving normal sunlight or artificial light at great depths.
Although the most common size is 35.0 cm (13.8 in), it can reach lengths of up to 100.0 cm (39.4 in) TL. The maximum published weight for an alfonsino is 2.5 kg (5.5 lb). It can be found in temperate and subtropical ocean waters nearly worldwide, though it is uncommon. With an extensive depth range 110–1,000m(360–3,280 ft) below the surface, the alfonsino occurs in localized aggregations over deep-sea coral habitats on the continental shelf and continental slope. Adults are demersal and search for prey along the ocean floor, primarily fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. By day it stays in deeper water and vertically migrates to shallower waters at night.Like other members of its family, it is remarkably long-lived, recorded 69 years, however, estimates ranging as high as 85 years
Spawning occurs in the summer months, June through September, though males can reproduce year-round. Alfonsinos are batch spawners, that is they release eggs multiple times over an extended spawning season rather in a short period. Eggs and larvae are epipelagic, staying near the ocean's surface. Eggs hatch after around 27 hours. Juveniles live deeper, but are still pelagic for a few months, eventually moving to their demersal habitat where they will live as adults. After 4 years, they reach sexual maturity, at which point they will be about 30cm(12 in) in size, with females being slightly larger on average than males. Individuals grow slowly, as is common among members of Berycidae.
Alfonsinos are economically important fish, targeted by commercial fisheries, including seamount fisheries, that employ deep-water trawling and longline fishing methods to catch them. Despite being widespread throughout its range, the alfonsino is an uncommon fish in many areas, likely due to exploitation by commercial fisheries and depletion due to bycatch. The meat is soft and bland. and is known to taste good in winter. It is similar to sea bream and is sometimes used as a substitute for sea bream. It is rarer and more expensive than sea bream. It is one of the high-end fish species in Japan, and braised Alfonsino is quite expensive.
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