The velvet whalefish (family Barbourisiidae, primarily Barbourisia rufa) is a rare, deep-sea fish found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, typically at depths between 300 and 2,000 meters. Characterized by its velvety skin and distinctive, whale-like body shape, the velvet whalefish is not a target of large-scale commercial fisheries due to its deep habitat and relative scarcity. Instead, it is occasionally caught as bycatch in deep-sea trawl fisheries. Countries with significant deep-sea fishing fleets, such as Japan, Spain, New Zealand, and Russia, are most likely to encounter velvet whalefish during their operations targeting other deep-dwelling species. However, the velvet whalefish has little to no direct economic importance, and its capture is mostly of scientific interest rather than commercial value.
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Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.