Ghostly grenadier

Coryphaenoides leptolepis

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth2,430–4,120 m
Water temperature9–26 °C
Best monthsJuly
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) Ghedoghedo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

Coryphaenoides leptolepis, the ghostly grenadier, is a species of rattail found in the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at depths of 610 to 4,000 metres. This species grows to a length of 62 centimetres (24 in) TL.

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

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 4 records
February: 4 records
March: 10 records
April: 23 records
May: 4 records
June: 6 records
July: 40 records
August: 7 records
September: 7 records
October: 5 records
November: 10 records
December: 0 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 2,430–4,120 m · Deepest record: 7,386.5 m

0–10 m: 1 records
10–20 m: 0 records
20–30 m: 0 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 114 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 9–26 °C

8–10 °C: 13 records
10–12 °C: 8 records
12–14 °C: 73 records
14–16 °C: 7 records
16–18 °C: 14 records
18–20 °C: 5 records
20–22 °C: 1 records
22–24 °C: 1 records
24–26 °C: 1 records

Names and classification

English: Ghostly grenadier, ghostly grenadier

Names in 2 more languages

French: grenadier à écailles minces, Grenadier petit front
Japanese: Hiragashiradara, ヒラガシラダラ

Other scientific names: Chalinura leptolepis, Chalinura serrula, Chalinura simula, Coryphaenoides (Chalinura) leptolepis, Coryphaenoides serrula, Coryphaenoides simulus, Macrurus simulus

Similar species

Serrulate Rattail
Coryphaenoides serrulatus
Four-rayed Rattail
Coryphaenoides subserrulatus
Pacific grenadier
Coryphaenoides acrolepis
Abyssal grenadier
Coryphaenoides armatus
Popeye
Coryphaenoides cinereus
Humpback Whiptail
Coryphaenoides dossenus

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).
230 open-data records from 1883 to 2023.
Species data updated November 1, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist