Channel Scabbardfish, Evoxymetopon taeniatus
Channel Scabbardfish, Evoxymetopon taeniatus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Playa del Carmen, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, November 2005. Length: 1.88 m (6 feet 2 inches). Identification courtesy of Dr. R. Wilson Laney, South Atlantic Fisheries Coordination Office, Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Channel Scabbardfish, Evoxymetopon taeniatus, is a member of the Cutlassfish or Trichiuridae Family, and is known in Mexico as tajalí de canal. Globally, there are four species in the genus Evoxymetopon, of which one species, this fish, is found in Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Channel Scabbardfish has an extremely elongated and strongly compressed ribbon-like body that tapers to a very small forked caudal fin. They have a uniform silvery appearance with reddish-brown tinges dorsally and several longitudinal pale yellow stripes on their body. The front portion of their dorsal fin is blackish and their other fins are transparent. Their head has a convex upper profile with a steep forehead, medium-sized eyes located mid-body, and a relatively small mouth that ends before the eyes. Their anal fin has a long base with 60 rays that are exceedingly small and usually embedded in the skin; their dorsal fin is high and has a long base with three spines and 81 to 90 rays; their pectoral fins are mid-sized; and, they do not have formal pelvic fins. Their lateral line is fairly straight and runs slightly below the midline. They do not have scales.
The Channel Scabbardfish is a benthopelagic species found on the continental slope or the continental shelf. They are found in deep waters at depths of at least 183 m (600 feet). They reach a maximum of 2 m (6 feet 6 inches) in length and 4.0 kg (8 lbs 13 oz) in weight. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 4.35 kg (9 lbs 9 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off West End, Bahamas, September 2023. The Channel Scabbardfish 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.
In Mexican waters the Channel Scabbardfish is an unknown. The fish that is photographed above was caught from Mexican waters along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.
From a conservation perspective the Channel Scabbardfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are exceedingly rare and of limited interest to most.