Deepbody Boarfish, Antigonia capros

Deepbody Boarfish, Antigonia capros. Fish caught from coastal waters off Kona, Hawaii, July 2017. Length: 13 cm (5.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).

The Deepbody Boarfish, Antigonia capros, is a member of the Boarfishes or Caproidae Family that is known in Mexico as verraco alto. There are seven global members of the genus Antigonia, of which two are found in Mexican waters, both in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Deepbody Boarfish has a very deep rhomboidal shape that is strongly compressed with a depth that is 80 to 100% of standard length. Both the upper and lower body profiles are convex. They can be of uniform reddish-orange color or white with three dark reddish-orange bars. Their anal, pectoral and pelvic fins can be reddish-orange or white. They have small heads, with the strongly concave profile, very large eyes, and relatively small oblique mouth that opens in the front with a protrusible top jaw. Their anal fin has 2 or 3 spines (with the first being the longest) and 29 to 34 rays and a long base; their caudal fin is bluntly rounded; their dorsal fin has 7 to 9 spines (with the third being the longest) and 31 to 37 rays and a long base; their pectoral fins have 1 spine and 12 to 14 rays and are bluntly pointed; and, their pelvic fins have 1 spine and 5 rays and reach well past the anal fin origin. They have 19 to 22 gill rakers. They are covered with scales. Their lateral line is arched.

The Deepbody Boarfish is a demersal species that is found over rocky slopes and ledges in dense aggregations at depths between 50 m (164 feet) and 900 m (2,950 feet). They reach a maximum of 31 cm (12 inches) in length. The juveniles are found mid-water. They are opportunistic predators that prey on cephalopods, crustaceans and small mollusks. The Deepbody Boarfish 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 Deepbody Boarfish has a wide global distribution is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.

The Deepbody Boarfish can be confused with the Shortspine Boarfish, Antigonia combatia (narrower oval body; short pelvic fins).

From a conservation perspective the Deepbody Boarfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are not a focus of commercial fishermen, but sold regionally on a limited basis and retained by subsistence fishermen. They are of limited interest to most.