Grammicolepidids, commonly known as tinselfishes, are deep-sea fish belonging to the family Grammicolepididae, characterized by their thin, silvery bodies and large, reflective scales. These elusive fish inhabit the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones of the world's oceans, often at depths exceeding 500 meters. Due to their deep-water habitat and relatively low commercial value, targeted fisheries for tinselfishes are rare. However, they are occasionally caught as bycatch in deep-sea trawl fisheries, particularly in the North Atlantic and Southwest Pacific regions. Countries such as New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain are among the few that report incidental catches of Grammicolepidids, often grouped under "not elsewhere included" (NEI) categories in global fisheries statistics. The overall harvest of tinselfishes remains minimal compared to more commercially valuable deep-sea species, and their economic significance is limited, with most landings used for fishmeal or discarded.
| Rank | Country | Metric Tons |
|---|
Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.