Depth
Nettastoma · Bony Fish

Blackfin Sorcerer

Nettastoma melanura

100 - 1500 m
Depth Range
80 cm
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
100 - 1500 m
Depth Range
80 cm
Max Size
Deep Muddy
Habitat
Predator
Diet
Solitary
Social
LC
IUCN Status
Rare
Sighting Likelihood
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
GenusNettastoma
Speciesmelanura

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationExtremely elongated, eel-like body with a long, pointed snout. Dark brown to black coloration. Tail tapers to a fine whip-like point. Small eyes set far forward.
  • SizeUp to 80 cm total length, though most are around 50 to 60 cm.
  • Social HabitSolitary deep-water species. Very rarely encountered alive.
  • HabitatDeep-sea muddy and sandy bottoms on the continental slope and in submarine canyons.
  • Depth200 to 1,500 m. Strictly a deep-water species beyond recreational diving limits.
  • Feeds OnSmall deep-sea crustaceans and soft-bodied invertebrates.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to West Africa, including the Mediterranean Sea.
  • DescriptionA bizarre deep-sea eel with a beak-like snout and whip-thin tail. Almost nothing is known about its behaviour in the wild. It is occasionally captured in deep trawls but remains one of the more mysterious fish in the Mediterranean deep-sea fauna.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

A deep-sea benthic species found on muddy bottoms from 100 to 1500 m depth across the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic. Typically rests on or just above the soft seabed in the bathyal zone.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Soft muddy bottoms of the continental slope and deep basins. Lives on or near the seabed in deep, cold, dark environments. Associated with fine-grained sediment substrates.

Encounter Tips

Not accessible to divers. Known from deep-sea trawl catches and occasional research submersible observations. Sometimes captured as bycatch in deep-water fisheries.

Blackfin Sorcerer species card

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Nettastoma melanura may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red ListLeast Concern

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
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