Black snake mackerel

Nealotus tripes

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth55–1,773 m
Water temperature9–29 °C
Best monthsAugust, September, and October
How commonOccasional

About this species

The black snake mackerel is a species of snake mackerel found worldwide in both tropical and temperate waters where they are found at depths of from 914 to 1,646 metres making diel vertical migrations from mesopelagic depths to the surface at night. It can reach a length of 25 centimetres (9.8 in) SL though most do not exceed 15 centimetres (5.9 in) SL. It is important to local peoples as a food fish. This species is currently the only known member of its genus, Nealotus. That genus is therefore said to be monotypic.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Black snake mackerel”, 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: 0 records
February: 14 records
March: 5 records
April: 12 records
May: 37 records
June: 16 records
July: 28 records
August: 44 records
September: 55 records
October: 48 records
November: 29 records
December: 10 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 55–1,773 m · Deepest record: 3,500 m

0–10 m: 5 records
10–20 m: 3 records
20–30 m: 0 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 7 records
50–60 m: 2 records
60–70 m: 6 records
70–80 m: 4 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 5 records
100–110 m: 7 records
110+ m: 134 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 9–29 °C

8–10 °C: 1 records
10–12 °C: 8 records
12–14 °C: 8 records
14–16 °C: 15 records
16–18 °C: 27 records
18–20 °C: 34 records
20–22 °C: 38 records
22–24 °C: 50 records
24–26 °C: 32 records
26–28 °C: 57 records
28–30 °C: 8 records

Names and classification

English: Black snake mackerel, black snake mackerel, Black Snake Mackerel

Names in 4 more languages

Spanish: dómine negro, escolar listado, Escolar listado, Escolar Obscuro, Escolar oscuro
French: coelho tripode, Escolier reptile
Japanese: Furaikamasu, フウライカマス
Simplified Chinese: 三棘若帶鰆, 三棘若蛇鯖

Other scientific names: Machaerope latispinis, Machaerope latispinus, Neolatus tripes

Similar species

Snake mackerel
Gempylus serpens
Roudi escolar
Promethichthys prometheus
Royal escolar
Rexea prometheoides
Sackfish
Neoepinnula orientalis
Bengal escolar
Rexea bengalensis

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).
677 open-data records from 1908 to 2024.

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