title: Longfin smooth-head
text: # Longfin smooth-head
  
  The longfin smooth-head (Conocara macropterum) is a species of fish in the family Alepocephalidae.
  
  ## Description
  
  The longfin smooth-head is pale brown to black in colour; its name derives from its anal fin, which has a long base and 35–39 finrays. Its maximum length is 34 centimetres (13 in). They grow rapidly from infancy; few juveniles of intermediate size are found.
  
  ## Habitat
  
  The longfin smooth-head lives in the temperate and tropical Atlantic Ocean, and in the Gulf of Mexico; it is bathypelagic, living at depths of 800–2,200 m (2,600–7,200 ft), being most common at 1,200–1,800 m (3,900–5,900 ft).
  
  ## Behaviour
  
  The longfin smooth-head lays large eggs, up to 6 mm (0.24 in) in diameter, and are believed to be buried in redds, similar to how the Atlantic salmon buries its eggs. A detritivore, the longfin smooth-head is recorded to ingest sediment from the seafloor, taking up with it microfauna such as foraminiferans.
  
  