Red bream (Beryx decadactylus)

Description: This fish, also called an alfonsino, is highly sought after because of its sweet and rich flavor. Popular in Japanese cuisine, red bream makes spectacular sushi and is commercially important in many parts of the world. It prefers rugged, high profile, reef-like habitats where it sometimes occurs in large numbers. It moves from the seafloor up into the water column at night to feed on crustaceans, squids, and small fishes. In fact, the fish in the bream family school in such large numbers and eat shrimp so voraciously that they are the subject of a well known Japanese proverb: “fishing for bream with a shrimp” which is a metaphor for gaining a large profit from a very small investment.

Geographic Distribution

Figure 1: Relative probability of occurrence of Red bream (Beryx decadactylus) based on computer generated distribution maps. Data source: Aquamaps

Figure 2: Approximate depth range of red bream (black box). Slope of seafloor is a generalized representation of the Gulf of Mexico shelf and outer continental shelf.