blackspotted grenadier

Lucigadus nigromaculatus

Fish
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth436–839 m
Water temperature8–22 °C
Best monthsMay, August, and October
How commonOccasional

About this species

The blackspotted grenadier or blackspot rattail, Lucigadus nigromaculatus, is a rattail, one of seven in the genus Lucigadus. It is found around southern Australia, New Zealand, and Chile, at depths of between 400 and 1,400 m. This species length is between 15 and 30 cm.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Blackspotted grenadier”, 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: 5 records
February: 20 records
March: 7 records
April: 34 records
May: 35 records
June: 27 records
July: 29 records
August: 42 records
September: 29 records
October: 41 records
November: 35 records
December: 28 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 436–839 m · Deepest record: 3,821.5 m

150–160 m: 1 records
160–170 m: 0 records
170–180 m: 5 records
180–190 m: 0 records
190–200 m: 2 records
200–210 m: 0 records
210–220 m: 2 records
220–230 m: 2 records
230–240 m: 1 records
240–250 m: 2 records
250–260 m: 2 records
260+ m: 2,104 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 8–22 °C

6–8 °C: 55 records
8–10 °C: 105 records
10–12 °C: 167 records
12–14 °C: 224 records
14–16 °C: 171 records
16–18 °C: 59 records
18–20 °C: 74 records
20–22 °C: 56 records
22–24 °C: 2 records

Names and classification

English: blackspotted grenadier, Black-spotted Whiptail, Black-spot Whip-tail, Blackspot Whiptail

Other scientific names: Lionurus nigromaculatus, Macrourus nigromaculatus, Nezumia nigromaculata, Ventrifossa nigromaculata

Similar species

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).
2,228 open-data records from 1914 to 2018.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

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