Spotted codlet

Bregmaceros mcclellandi

Fish
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth15–800 m
Water temperature11–30 °C
Best monthsJune and August
How commonOccasional

About this species

The spotted codlet, MacClelland's unicorn-cod, or unicorn cod, Bregmaceros mcclellandi, is a small, deepwater codlet fish found in the western Indian Ocean to eastern Thailand. It occurs from the surface to depths of 2,000 m (6,600 ft), and it reaches up to 9.6 cm (3.8 in) in standard length. This species is of commercial importance to local fisheries.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Spotted codlet”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 4 records
February: 7 records
March: 7 records
April: 6 records
May: 10 records
June: 23 records
July: 9 records
August: 14 records
September: 8 records
October: 10 records
November: 12 records
December: 12 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 15–800 m · Deepest record: 1,372 m

0–10 m: 8 records
10–20 m: 6 records
20–30 m: 7 records
30–40 m: 6 records
40–50 m: 3 records
50–60 m: 6 records
60–70 m: 5 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 1 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 7 records
110+ m: 43 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 11–30 °C

10–12 °C: 2 records
12–14 °C: 1 records
14–16 °C: 0 records
16–18 °C: 2 records
18–20 °C: 8 records
20–22 °C: 4 records
22–24 °C: 3 records
24–26 °C: 8 records
26–28 °C: 47 records
28–30 °C: 89 records

Names and classification

English: Spotted codlet, Unicorn cod, spotted codlet

Names in 4 more languages

Spanish: bregmacero
French: bregmacère de l'oceán Indien, Varlet de l'Océan Indien
Japanese: ミナミサイウオ
Simplified Chinese: 麦氏犀鳕

Other scientific names: Asthenurus atripinnis, Bragmaceros maclelandi, Bregmaceros atripinnis, Bregmaceros macclellandi, Bregmaceros macclellandii, Bregmaceros maclellandi, Bregmaceros mcclelandi, Bregmaceros mcclellandii, Calloptilum mirum

Similar species

Japanese codlet
Bregmaceros japonicus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
689 open-data records from 1840 to 2023.
Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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