Shortspine Thornyhead

Natural Habitat

This fish inhabits deep waters, typically ranging from 100 to 1500 meters (330 to 4900 feet) in depth. They are found on soft, muddy bottoms or rocky substrates in the North Pacific Ocean, from Japan and the Bering Sea down to California and Mexico.

Diet & Feeding

The Shortspine Thornyhead is a generalist predator, feeding on a variety of benthic (bottom-dwelling) and benthopelagic (near-bottom) organisms. Their diet typically includes crustaceans (like shrimp and crabs), small fish, and cephalopods (like squid).

Behavior Patterns

The Shortspine Thornyhead is a deep-sea fish, typically found near the seafloor. They are known to be ambush predators, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. They are long-lived, with some individuals reaching over 100 years of age. They are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs. Not much is known about their specific social behaviors due to their deep-sea habitat.

Risks & Benefits

From an ecological perspective, Shortspine Thornyheads are an important part of the deep-sea food web. From a human perspective, they are a commercially important species, targeted by fisheries due to their good-tasting flesh. However, their slow growth and long lifespan make them vulnerable to overfishing, posing a risk to their populations if not managed sustainably. There are no known direct risks to humans from this fish in terms of venom or aggression.

Identified on: 9/4/2025