Maldives Marine Life

Marine life of Maldivian waters

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Sparse-rayed frostfish
No photo available
Illustration
Illustration: Homefront / Abacus AI, © Homefront AuctionsOriginal illustration based on published descriptions

Sparse-rayed frostfish

Benthodesmus oligoradiatus

Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).

English
Sparse-rayed frostfish
Scientific
Benthodesmus oligoradiatus
Dhivehi
No recorded Dhivehi name
Group
Tunas and other pelagics
Family
Trichiuridae (cutlassfishes)
Maximum size
Up to about 51 cm (standard length)
Depth and habitat
Near the bottom and in the water column above it, recorded from 0 to 1000 m
IUCN status
NE · Not EvaluatedNot Evaluated (NE)

Description

A long, ribbon-like, silvery frostfish with a black mouth and gill cover, reaching about 51 cm. It lives on deep slopes and seamounts at about 375 to 600 m.

Sources

Dhivehi name source: No Dhivehi name found in MRS 1997 (available chapters), FishBase (country: Maldives) or Dhivehi Wikipedia.