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ALEXANDRE MEINESZ

Red Bandfish

In Dive.Explo360: Mediterranean · Northeast Atlantic · Atlantic Ocean

The red bandfish (Cepola macrophthalma) is a spectacular fish with a very long, slender, orange-red body. It lives on soft seabeds, where it creates a burrow as a refuge. It can leave it and swim above the seabed to search for food. Found in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, it can reach 80 cm in length, although its usual size is around 40 cm.

Habitat de Red Bandfish Habitat
Detrital bottom, Sand
Profondeur de Red Bandfish Depth
15-400 m
Groupe biologique de Red Bandfish Group
Benthic fish
Rôle écologique de Red Bandfish Role
Predator

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The red bandfish has a very distinctive silhouette: its body is extremely elongated, flattened at the sides and gradually narrows towards the tail. Its very long dorsal and anal fins follow almost the entire length of the body. Its mouth is relatively large and points upwards.Its colour ranges from red to orange-red. It commonly measures around 40 cm, but the largest individuals can reach 80 cm. As it swims, its flexible body undulates, further enhancing its surprising ribbon-like appearance.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

The red bandfish mainly inhabits soft sandy and muddy seabeds. It is reported from depths of 15 to 400 metres and lives notably in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic.It creates a vertical burrow in the sediment as a refuge. However, it does not remain there permanently: it can leave and rise above the seabed. This explains why it may sometimes be seen swimming in open water while remaining closely associated with its habitat.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

The red bandfish is a predator of small animals. It mainly feeds on small crustaceans and chaetognaths, small transparent marine animals belonging to the plankton.It leaves its burrow to search for prey in the water. Its lifestyle therefore combines two spaces: the soft seabed, essential for its refuge, and the water column above, where it can find part of its food.

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