Species FAO code: BSF

Aphanopus carbo

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Commercial designations
Production methods and fishing gears
Conservation measures
Marketing standards
Species distribution and habitat
Species description

Commercial designations

Country	Commercial designations	Names accepted or permitted locally or regionally
Croatia	hr crni zmijičnjak	–
Cyprus	el μαυροσπαθόψαρο	–
Czech Republic	cs Uhlířka černá cs Tkaničnice tmavá	–
Denmark	da Sort sabelfisk	–
Estonia	et Must süsisaba	–
Finland	fi mustahuotrakala sv dolkfisk	–
France	fr sabre noir fr sabre	–
Greece	el Μαυροσπαθόψαρο	–
Ireland	en Black scabbardfish ga Scabaird dhubh	–
Italy	it Pesce sciabola oceanico it sciabola oceanica	–
Lithuania	lt juodoji kalavija	–
Luxembourg	de Schwarzer Degenfisch fr sabre noir fr sabre	–
Netherlands	nl Zwarte degenvis nl Haarstaartvis	–
Poland	pl Pałasz czarny	–
Portugal	pt Peixe-espada-preto pt Espada pt Espada-preto	–
Slovakia	sk stuhochvost čierny	–
Slovenia	sl črni morski meč	–
Spain	es Sable negro	Canary Islands: Conejo diablo Galicia: Peixe sabre negro
Sweden	sv Dolkfisk	–

Main production methods

Caught

Main fishing gears

List item: Trawls

Trawls

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839

TACs and quotas

Total allowable catches (TACs) or fishing opportunities, are catch limits (expressed in tonnes or numbers) that are set for most commercial fish stocks. TACs are set annually for most stocks (every two years for deep-sea stocks) by the Council of fisheries ministers. TACs are shared between EU countries in the form of national quotas. For each stock a different allocation percentage per EU country is applied for the sharing out of the quotas. Read more: TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021)

BSF/56712-

Aphanopus carbo

Fishing areas

27.5 Iceland and Faeroes Grounds (Subarea V) United Kingdom and international waters
27.6 Rockall, Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland, (the Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland also known as the West of Scotland) (Subarea VI)
27.12 North of Azores (Subarea XII) international waters
27.7 Irish Sea, West of Ireland, Porcupine Bank, Eastern and Western English Channel, Bristol Channel, Celtic Sea North and South, and Southwest of Ireland - East and West (Subarea VII)

TAC

1929.0 t

Union

1819.0 t

1541.0 t

110.0 t

55.0 t

22.0 t

72.0 t

1.0 t

11.0 t

1.0 t

Stocks (2022)

BSF/56712-

Aphanopus carbo

Fishing areas

27.5 Iceland and Faeroes Grounds (Subarea V) United Kingdom and international waters
27.6 Rockall, Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland, (the Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland also known as the West of Scotland) (Subarea VI)
27.12 North of Azores (Subarea XII) international waters
27.7 Irish Sea, West of Ireland, Porcupine Bank, Eastern and Western English Channel, Bristol Channel, Celtic Sea North and South, and Southwest of Ireland - East and West (Subarea VII)

TAC

1929.0 t

Union

1819.0 t

1541.0 t

1.0 t

22.0 t

72.0 t

110.0 t

11.0 t

55.0 t

1.0 t

Stocks (2021)

BSF/8910-

Aphanopus carbo

Fishing areas

27.10 Azores Grounds (Subarea X) Union and international waters
27.9 Portuguese Waters (Subarea IX) Union and international waters
27.8 Bay of Biscay (Subarea VIII) Union and international waters

TAC

2266.0 t

Union

2266.0 t

18.0 t

2241.0 t

7.0 t

Stocks (2022)

BSF/8910-

Aphanopus carbo

Fishing areas

27.10 Azores Grounds (Subarea X) Union and international waters
27.9 Portuguese Waters (Subarea IX) Union and international waters
27.8 Bay of Biscay (Subarea VIII) Union and international waters

TAC

2266.0 t

Union

2266.0 t

18.0 t

2241.0 t

7.0 t

Stocks (2021)

BSF/C3412-

Aphanopus carbo

Fishing areas

34.1.2 Canaries/Madeira Insular Union and international waters

TAC

To be established

Union

To be established

Stocks (2022)

BSF/C3412-

Aphanopus carbo

Fishing areas

34.1.2 Canaries/Madeira Insular Union and international waters

TAC

To be established

Union

To be established

Specific requirements that fishery products marketed in the EU shall meet. They include freshness and size categories.

Freshness categories

	A	B	Extra
Flesh	Less elastic	Slightly soft (flaccid), less elastic; waxy (velvety) and dull surface	Firm and elastic; smooth surface
Gills	Less coloured; transparent mucus	Brown/grey becoming discoloured; thick, opaque mucus	Bright colour; no mucus
Peritoneum (in gutted fish)	Slightly dull; can be detached from flesh	Speckled; comes away easily from flesh	Smooth; bright; difficult to detach from flesh
Smell of gills and abdominal cavity	No smell of seaweed; neutral smell	Fermented; slightly sour	Seaweedy
Eye	Convex and slightly sunken; black dull pupil; slightly opalescent cornea	Flat; opalescent cornea; opaque pupil	Convex (bulging); black, bright pupil; transparent cornea
Skin	Pigmentation bright but not lustrous	Pigmentation in the process of becoming discoloured and dull	Bright, iridescent pigment (save for redfish) or opalescent; no discolouration
Skin mucus	Slightly cloudy	Milky	Aqueous, transparent

Size categories

Size	weight/fish
1	≥ 3.0 kg
2	≥ 0.5 \| < 3.0 kg

Habitat

Saltwater

FAO major fishing areas

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839

Distribution maps

Source: Aquamaps - Computer Generated Native Distribution Map for Aphanopus carbo

Source: FAO - FAO aquatic species distribution map of Aphanopus carbo

Scientific name

Aphanopus carbo

Author

Lowe, 1839

Rank

Species

FAO code

BSF

Morphological description

Body is extremely elongated, with body depth 10.8 to 13.4 times in SL. The snout is large with strong fang-like teeth. Pelvic fins represented by a single spine in juveniles but entirely absent in adults. Color is coppery black with iridescent tint. The inside of the mouth and gill cavities black.

Taxonomic classification

ClassActinopterygii
- OrderPerciformes
  - FamilyTrichiuridae
    - GenusAphanopus
      - SpeciesAphanopus carbo

Synonyms

Aphanopus minor Collett, 1887
Aphanopus schmidti Saemundsson, 1908
Aphanopus acus Maul, 1948

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839

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Aphanopus carbo

Commercial designations

Main production methods

Main fishing gears

Trawls

TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2022)

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2022)

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2022)

Freshness categories

Size categories

Habitat

FAO major fishing areas

Area 21 - Atlantic, Northwest

Area 27 - Atlantic, Northeast

Area 31 - Atlantic, Western Central

Area 34 - Atlantic, Eastern Central

Distribution maps