Description:

Dorsal spines: 4-5; Dorsal rays: 28-31; Anal spines: 4; Anal rays: 14-16. 

Body oblong and moderately compressed. Head and eyes moderately large. 2 long barbels from middle of lower jaw. Mouth large, jaws extending to or slightly 
beyond rear margin of eye. Villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, palatine, pterygoid, and tongue. Dorsal fin origin well back, just in anterior half of body. 
Caudal fin forked. large spnoid scales on body and extending onto opercle, cheek, and lower jaw. 

Colour. Large silver scales dusky greenish above becoming more silvery below. Top of dorsal and anal fins dark. Dusky caudal fin. 

Maturity: Uknown. Max length : 47.5 cm SL.

Benthic deep water species (depth 18-520 m). Occurs on sandy and muddy areas of the outer continental shelf and slope. Solitary or 
in small aggregations.
 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. 

Specimen caught at 450 m depth by Faizal Suleman and Aaron-lyle Manes.
Photos Courtesy and (c) 2023 Faizal Suleman.

Bray, D.J. (2017). Polymixia berndti in Fishes of Australia, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1388 (25/11/23). 
FoT (2023). Polymixia berndti. Fishes of Taiwan. https://fishdb.sinica.edu.tw/eng/species.php?id=382786 
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2023). FishBase. Polymixia berndti. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/10273 (25/11/23).  
McGrouther, M. (2020). Beardfish, Polymixia berndti. https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/beardfish-polymixia-berndti-gilbert-1905/ (25/11/23). 
Roa-Varón, A. & Iwamoto, T. (2019). Polymixia berndti. The IUCN Red List 2019: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T135403488A135579317.en. (25/11/23).

Nevill, J.E.G., Suleman, F. & Manes, A-L. (2023). Polymixia berndti, Pacific beardfish. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/polymixia-berndti-gilbert-1905/