Sickle Pomfret, Taractichthys steindachneri

Sickle Pomfret, Taractichthys steindachneri. Fish caught from oceanic waters well off Baja California by the Gutsy Lady 4 on deep-set longline gear, April 2017. Length: 72 cm (2 feet 4 inches). Photograph and identification courtesy of Dan Fuller, San Diego, California.

The Sickle Pomfret, Taractichthys steindachneri, is a member of the Pomfret or Bramidae Family, and is known in Mexico as tristón segador. Globally, there are two species in the genus Taractichthys, both found in Mexican waters, one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific Ocean.

The Sickle Pomfret has a moderately compressed deep body with a depth that is 48% to 52% of standard length. They are uniformly silvery black with white margins on their anal, caudal, and pelvic fins. They have a round head, a blunt snout, large eyes, and an oblique mouth that opens at the front and is equipped with small curved canines set in bands on both jaws. Their anal and dorsal fins are low with large curved pointed lobes in the front that vary in height and length with the age of the fish. Their anal fin has 26 to 28 rays; their caudal fin is deeply forked; their dorsal fin has 33 to 37 rays; their pectoral fins are low on the body; and, their pelvic fins are located just before the pectoral fins. They are covered with large and hard scales that have spines. Their lateral line is arched over the pectoral fins but generally straight.

The Sickle Pomfret is a highly migratory oceanodromous species that are found demersal at depths between 53 m (175 feet) and 700 m (2,300 feet). They reach a maximum of 91 cm (3 feet 0 inches) in length and 11 kg (24 lbs) in weight. They are mid-water feeders preying on small fish, shrimp, and squid. In turn juveniles are preyed upon by tuna and swordfish. They have a lifespan of 8 years. The Sickle Pomfret  is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Sickle Pomfret is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but has a limited distribution being found off the west coast of Baja and along the east coast of Baja from La Paz Bay south to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.

The Sickle Pomfret is straightforward to identify with the exception that it can be confused with the Pacific Pomfret, Brama japonica (short anal and dorsal fins).

From a conservation perspective he Sickle Pomfret has not been formally evaluated. They are not fished commercially, however, they are caught as a by-catch, retained, and sold by pelagic longline and hook-and-line deep water bottom fishermen from depths in excess of 275 m (900 feet).