Photos, Fishing, Angling, Catching, Cooking Information

Blue Eye Cod (Hyperoglyphe antarctica) Photographs and Information

Information about Blue Eye Cod, Blue-eye Trevalla (Hyperoglyphe antarctica):

The Blue-eye Trevalla is a benthic species that is found on rocky seabeds in continental slope depths. Juveniles tend to be around the midwater to surface level.

Many common names have been used for this species. These include the Big Eye, Big-eye Trevalla, Blue-eye, Blue-eye Cod, Blue-nose, Bluenose Warehou, Bonita, Bream Trevalla, Deep-sea Trevalla, Griffin's Silverfish, Sea Trevally, Stoney-eye and Trevalla, Antarctic butterfish, deepsea trevally, blue eye trevalla, bluenose sea bass, or deep sea trevalla,

Hyperoglyphe antarctica, is a medusafish of the family Centrolophidae found in all the southern oceans, at depths of between 40 and 1,500 m. Its length is up to about 140 cm, with a maximum published weight of 60 kg.

The Blue-eye Trevalla is a stout bodied fish with a blunt snout and small scales. It has two dorsal fins. The first has short, stout spines, and is joined by membrane to the base of the second dorsal fin, which is higher and longer based. The pectoral fins are falcate and the caudal fin is forked. The head has many small pores.

Blue Eye Cod have a dark blue body above and lighter blue below with large eyes (another name for this fish is big eye). Larger individuals have a bronze sheen along the flanks.

They can grow to 1.4 m in length and over 50 kg in weight. Studies have shown that fish between 62 and 72 cm are mature and range in age between 8–12 years respectively. Mature females can produce between 2 million and 11 million eggs prior to spawning.

The Blue-eye Trevalla is a benthic species that is found on rocky seabeds in continental slope depths. Juveniles tend to be around the midwater to surface level.

Blue eye mainly feed on the tunicate Pyrosoma atlantica. However they will feed on a range of fish, molluscs, squid and crustaceans, they are also cannibalistic.

Spawning appears to occur in an area north east of Tasmania during March and April.

Little is known about the egg and larval stages of blue eye. Recently Antarctic buttefish of approximately 10 cm have been found living in association with large masses of floating kelp. It is believed that as these juveniles reach 50 cm they become semi-bottom dwelling.

These young fish form schools over hard bottom at depths of around 350–450 m, moving to deeper waters as they grow.

In life, this species is bluish grey above, grading to grey below. The fins are a dark metallic grey.

Size range
It grows to 1.4 m in length and a weight of 36 kg.

Distribution
It occurs circumglobally in southern temperate marine waters.

In Australia it is known from off south-western Western Australia and off southern Queensland to the central coast of Victoria and Tasmania.

Cooking Blue Eye Cod:

Highly regarded as a food fish.

Available all year, the blue-eye cod is a big, thick-bodied finfish that has gained a great following in the past twenty years. Its mildly flavoured flesh is excellent eating.

This firm-fleshed finfish lends itself well to most methods of cooking. Cut into cubes coated individually with a herbed crumb or batter mixture, blue-eye can be served in conjunction with other seafood for baskets, or as tasty morsels for finger food. To ensure even cooking when deep frying, use thin portions only. These can be achieved by using a butterfly cut

The emergence of blue-eye trevalla cutlets as a popular form for this finfish will give you some extra scope in preparation. With the marrying flavours of wasabi, soy and ginger, blue-eye trevalla is also superbly suited to sashimi.
Heads and frames are occasionally available. They provide tasty flesh and can be used to make an excellent soup and stock.

Recovery rate from skinless fillets (wing off): 55% from whole (gilled and gutted), Skinless fillets (wing off): 80% from trunks