Oreosoma atlanticum

Fish
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth500–1,060 m
Water temperature2–25 °C
Best monthsFebruary, May, and August
How commonRare

About this species

Oreosoma atlanticum, also known as the ox-eyed oreo, is a species of oreo found in oceanic deep waters. It is the only known member of its genus. Although adults are more similar in shape to other oreos, the juveniles have a distinctive plating/armor in their skin, which is spiked and probably makes them harder to eat for any hostile creature. Adults lack that plating, and, as other oreos, they have a protractile mouth and very large eyes, with small scales.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Oreosoma atlanticum”, 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: 17 records
February: 39 records
March: 2 records
April: 9 records
May: 34 records
June: 20 records
July: 19 records
August: 39 records
September: 7 records
October: 9 records
November: 14 records
December: 24 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 500–1,060 m · Deepest record: 1,959.5 m

40–50 m: 1 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
110–120 m: 1 records
120–130 m: 0 records
130–140 m: 0 records
140–150 m: 0 records
150+ m: 181 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 2–25 °C

2–4 °C: 1 records
4–6 °C: 0 records
6–8 °C: 0 records
8–10 °C: 0 records
10–12 °C: 2 records
12–14 °C: 13 records
14–16 °C: 16 records
16–18 °C: 55 records
18–20 °C: 52 records
20–22 °C: 91 records
22–24 °C: 18 records
24–26 °C: 1 records

Names and classification

Other scientific names: Cyttosoma boops, Oreosoma atlantica

Similar species

Deepwater Dory
Neocyttus rhomboidalis
Black oreo
Allocyttus niger
Warty oreo
Allocyttus verrucosus
Neocyttus acanthorhynchus
False boarfish
Neocyttus helgae
Rough Oreo
Neocyttus psilorhynchus

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).
251 open-data records from 1913 to 2018.
Species data updated November 5, 2026.

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