Cubiceps capensis, Cape fathead : fisheries

Cubiceps capensis (Smith, 1845)

Cape fathead
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Cubiceps capensis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Cubiceps capensis (Cape fathead)
Cubiceps capensis
Picture by Lord, R.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Scombriformes (Mackerels) > Nomeidae (Driftfishes)
Etymology: Cubiceps: Latin, cubus = cube + Latin, ceps = head (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 140 m (Ref. 54802). Subtropical; 40°N - 35°S

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Probably circumglobal in tropical and temperate seas. Reported from the Mediterranean (Ref. 11228).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 101 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5951)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 20 - 23; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 20 - 21; Vertebrae: 31. Dark brown to deep purple, fins dark (Ref. 4412). Preorbital snout naked or with a few predorsal scales distinctly smaller than those between eyes (Ref 9834).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Oceanic, epipelagic or mesopelagic in tropical waters. Feeds mainly on salps (Ref. 33689). Occurs near the surface at night but depth at daytime is not known. Excellent food fish.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Haedrich, R.L., 1990. Nomeidae. p. 1014-1018. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 6891)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 29 January 2013

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
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Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Territories
FAO areas
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BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
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Physiology
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Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
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Genetics
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Aquaculture profiles
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Stamps, coins, misc.
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Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
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References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Identification keys | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index
(Ref. 82804) 		PD50 = 0.5010 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight a=0.00955 (0.00403 - 0.02261), b=3.09 (2.88 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level
(Ref. 69278) 		3.5   ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience
(Ref. 120179) 		Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability
(Ref. 59153) 		Moderate to high vulnerability (51 of 100). 🛈
Price category
(Ref. 80766) 		Unknown.
Nutrients
(Ref. 124155) 		Calcium = 48.9 [30.6, 77.6] mg/100g; Iron = 1.22 [0.77, 1.85] mg/100g; Protein = 19.4 [18.4, 20.3] %; Omega3 = 0.345 [0.229, 0.528] g/100g; Selenium = 27.9 [16.9, 48.3] μg/100g; VitaminA = 12 [5, 31] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.609 [0.451, 0.829] mg/100g (wet weight);