Stout Eelblenny: Anisarchus medius (Reinhardt, 1837)
An abundant and widespread eelblenny in Arctic seas
Size
- 18 cm (7 in)
Color & Characteristics
- Creamy white to yellowish body with vague brown or reddish brown spots or monotone
- Dorsal and anal fins connected to the caudal fin; anal fin gradually increasing in height so that the last rays are longer than those of the dorsal fin
Habitat
- Arctic-boreal, partically circumpolar
- Benthic, on muddy and sandy mud substrate
- Intertidal depths to 265 m, typically < 100 m
- Near-bottom temperatures of –1.7 to 7.9°C (Chukchi Sea)
Feeding
- Lives on polychaetes, small crustaceans, other benthic organisms
- Eaten by other benthic fishes and seabirds
Life cycle
- Little reported
- Larvae were present in June off Kamchatka
Page Author: CW Mecklenburg & TA Mecklenburg
Updated: March 5, 2011
