Roundnose grenadier
A large deep-sea fish from the northern Atlantic Ocean with a rounded head and long tail.
The roundnose grenadier is a deep-water ray-finned fish found in the northern Atlantic. It grows over a metre long and is commercially fished for its white flesh, though populations are declining due to slow maturity.
- Deep-water fish reaching over one metre in length
- Found in northern Atlantic at 400-1,200m depth
- White flesh sold as commercial seafood
- Matures slowly at nine to eleven years old
- Listed as UK Priority Species in 2010
What it is
This marine ray-finned fish features a broad snout and a long tapering tail. Its body is brownish-grey with dark fins and mouth interiors. The skin has small spines and dense scales. A blunt tube-like scale sits on the snout tip, while a chin barbel hangs below. The dorsal fin holds two spines and several soft rays. Pelvic rays include one greatly elongated outer ray. It reaches lengths exceeding one metre.
Where it lives
It inhabits the northern Atlantic Ocean between four hundred and twelve hundred metres deep. Occasional sightings occur at greater depths. The species moves to shallower waters in winter and deeper zones in summer. Geographic spread includes Baffin Island, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, New England Seamounts, and North Africa. Habitats comprise continental shelves, seamounts, and knolls.
How it lives
Dense shoals form around six hundred to nine hundred metres depth. Daily vertical migration occurs before returning to the seabed. Diet consists of shrimps, amphipods, cumaceans, cephalopods, lanternfishes, and other small fishes. Batch spawning happens near Iceland in late summer or autumn. Females mature at nine to eleven years old. Males reach maturity slightly earlier. Each spawn can produce up to thirty-five thousand eggs.
Breeding and life cycle
Reproduction involves batch spawning events. Spawning migrations target areas near Iceland during late summer or autumn. Female maturity requires nine to eleven years. Male maturity arrives somewhat sooner. Single spawning events yield approximately thirty-five thousand eggs. Growth rates remain slow throughout the lifespan.
Fish and people
Commercial fishing began in the nineteen sixties. Factory ships from the former USSR, Poland, and East Germany conducted midwater trawls. Catches peaked above eighty thousand tonnes in nineteen seventy-one. French and Spanish vessels now dominate catches under twenty thousand tonnes annually since nineteen eighty. White flesh with pleasant texture sells as seafood. Conservation concerns arose due to slow maturation and declining numbers.
Status and threats
United Kingdom listed this species as a priority for conservation in twenty ten. Slow growth and late maturity threaten population stability. Numbers have declined significantly. Experts warned of potential extinction within ten years without protective actions. Current catch levels remain lower than historical peaks. Management strategies focus on reducing fishing pressure to allow recovery.
Questions people ask about Roundnose grenadier
What does the roundnose grenadier look like?
It has a brownish-grey body with dark fins and mouth. Features include a broad snout, long tapering tail, and small spiny scales. A chin barbel and blunt snout scale are distinctive traits.
Where does this fish live?
It inhabits the northern Atlantic Ocean at depths between four hundred and twelve hundred metres. Range extends from Baffin Island to North Africa, including Iceland and Norway.
Is it safe to eat?
Yes, the white flesh has a pleasant texture and is sold as seafood. Commercial fishing targets it for food markets across Europe and North America.
Why is it considered vulnerable?
Slow maturity takes nine to eleven years. Declining numbers and late reproduction make populations sensitive to fishing pressure. Conservation status reflects these biological constraints.
Good reading and sources
- Coryphaenoides rupestris on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Coryphaenoides rupestris", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryFish rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes, and figures change over time. Nothing here is investment or buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-15.
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