Summary
Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral reefs. The marine pelagic environment is the largest aquatic habitat on Earth, occupying 1,370 million cubic kilometres (330 million cubic miles), and is the habitat for 11% of known fish species. The oceans have a mean depth of . About 98% of the total water volume is below , and 75% is below . Marine pelagic fish can be divided into coastal (inshore) fish and oceanic (offshore) fish. Coastal pelagic fish inhabit the relatively shallow and sunlit waters above the continental shelf, while oceanic pelagic fish inhabit the vast and deep waters beyond the continental shelf (even though they also may swim inshore). Pelagic fish range in size from small coastal forage fish, such as herrings and sardines, to large apex predator oceanic fishes, such as bluefin tuna and oceanic sharks. They are usually agile swimmers with streamlined bodies, capable of sustained cruising on long-distance migrations. Many pelagic fish swim in schools weighing hundreds of tonnes. Others, such as the large ocean sunfish, are solitary. There are also freshwater pelagic fish in some of the larger lakes, such as the Lake Tanganyika sardine. Epipelagic fish inhabit the epipelagic zone, the uppermost layer of the water column, ranging from sea level down to . It is also referred to as the surface waters or the sunlit zone, and includes the photic zone. The photic zone is defined as the surface waters down to the depth where the sunlight is attenuated to 1% of the surface value. This depth depends on how turbid the water is, but can extend to in clear water, coinciding with the epipelagic zone. The photic zone allows sufficient light for phytoplankton to photosynthesize. A vast habitat for most pelagic fish, the epipelagic zone is well lit so visual predators can use their eyesight, is usually well mixed and oxygenated from wave action, and can be a good habitat for algae to grow.
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Related courses (2)
ENV-418: River eco-morphology
Le cours traite les interactions entre l'hydraulique, le transport solide par charriage et l'espace cours d'eau à l'origine de la morphologie et de la richesse des habitats. La théorie de régime est p
BIOENG-456: Controlling behavior in animals and robots
Students will acquire an integrative view on biological and artificial algorithms for controlling autonomous behaviors. Students will synthesize and apply this knowledge in oral presentations and comp
Related lectures (32)
Hydropower Impacts on Waterways: Eco-Morphology and Remedial Measures
Explores hydropower impacts on waterways, focusing on fish population decline and remedial measures.
Architecture and Food: Production, Storage, and Territories
Delves into the relationship between architecture and food production, storage, and territories.
Show more
Related publications (58)

Lake surface cooling drives littoral-pelagic exchange of dissolved gases

Alfred Johny Wüest, Damien Bouffard, Hugo Nicolás Ulloa Sánchez, Tomy Doda, Cintia Luz Ramon Casanas

The extent of littoral influence on lake gas dynamics remains debated in the aquatic science community due to the lack of direct quantification of lateral gas transport. The prevalent assumption of diffusive horizontal transport in gas budgets fails to exp ...
Amer Assoc Advancement Science2024

Impact of substrate clogging on vertical connectivity

Giovanni De Cesare, Romain Maxime Dubuis, Robin Schroff

Connectivity between the hyporheic zone and the flow is essential for the development of benthos and the reproductive success of spawning fish. The infiltration of fine sediment leads to clogging of the riverbed, reducing porosity and vertical water exchan ...
2023

Challenges and approaches in bridging the biomimicry gap in biohybrid systems of fish and robots

Vaios Papaspyros

As the field of ethology advances, especially over the past two decades, the role of animal-robot interaction tools has increasingly become essential. This importance arises from the need for controlled, repetitive, repeatable, and long-duration experiment ...
EPFL2023
Show more
Related concepts (42)
Opah
Opahs, also commonly known as moonfish, sunfish (not to be confused with Molidae), kingfish, and redfin ocean pan are large, colorful, deep-bodied pelagic lampriform fishes comprising the small family Lampridae (also spelled Lamprididae). The family comprises two genera: Lampris () and the monotypic Megalampris (known only from fossil remains). The extinct family, Turkmenidae, from the Paleogene of Central Asia, is closely related, though much smaller.
Forage fish
Forage fish, also called prey fish or bait fish, are small pelagic fish which are preyed on by larger predators for food. Predators include other larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Typical ocean forage fish feed near the base of the food chain on plankton, often by filter feeding. They include particularly fishes of the order Clupeiformes (herrings, sardines, shad, hilsa, menhaden, anchovies, and sprats), but also other small fish, including halfbeaks, silversides, smelt such as capelin and goldband fusiliers.
Halfbeak
Hemiramphidae is a family of fishes that are commonly called halfbeaks, spipe fish or spipefish. They are a geographically widespread and numerically abundant family of epipelagic fish inhabiting warm waters around the world. The halfbeaks are named for their distinctive jaws, in which the lower jaws are significantly longer than the upper jaws. The similar viviparous halfbeaks (family Zenarchopteridae) have often been included in this family. Though not commercially important themselves, these forage fish support artisanal fisheries and local markets worldwide.
Show more