Softhead grenadier (Malacocephalus laevis). Norsk: Småskjellet skolest.
No official record yet
Villmarksliv's official list of Norwegian sport-fishing records has no record for Softhead grenadier yet. The first registered fish that meets the rules becomes the record.
About Softhead grenadier
Jan Fekjan (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The softhead grenadier (Malacocephalus laevis) is a member of the rattail family, a group of deep-water fishes with big heads and long, tapering tails. It lives on continental slopes in all three major oceans, mostly between about 300 and 750 metres, with records from roughly 200 to 1,000 metres. In Norway it has only turned up a handful of times, for example off Stavanger, so it counts as a rare visitor. It reaches up to about 60 cm. The head is large and soft, and the scales are tiny and toothed, giving the skin a sandpaper feel. A light organ sits on the belly between the pelvic fins, and there is a dark blotch at the fin bases. Little is known about its life history. Anglers will only meet it as an occasional deep-water bycatch. Norwegian Red List 2021: Not Applicable (NA).
Sources: Artsdatabanken, Store norske leksikon, Wikipedia, MarLIN
- Habitat: Saltvann
Biggest Softhead grenadier in FishComp
Caught a Softhead grenadier? Log it in FishComp.
Log your catchHow to register a Norwegian record
- Norwegian sport-fishing records are registered with Villmarksliv, not with FishComp. Read the rules before you do anything else with the fish.
- Records are based on weight and approved by a jury. You give the weight and length, where it was caught, the gear you used and any witnesses.
- Keep your photos and notes from the catch. Logging it in FishComp does not register a record.
Source: Villmarksliv's official Norwegian records (klikk.no).