Scientific Name	Gempylus serpens   Pronounce			by: Lab of Fish Ecol. and Evo., BRCAS
Author	Cuvier, 1829	Depth	0 - 570M
Chinese	帶鰆	Poisonous Fish	No
Family_Chinese	帶鰆科	Economic Fish	No
Family	F473　Gempylidae	Edible Fish	Yes	Chinese In Mainland China	蛇鯖
Max Length	100 cm	Aquarium Fish	No	Common Name	刀梭
Distribution in World	global	Distribution in Taiwan	South、North、North East
Habitats	Ocean、Deep Sea、Coastal	Holotype Locality	off Africa
Synonyms	Acinacea notha, Gempylus coluber, Gempylus notha, Gempylus ophidianus, Lemnisoma thyrsitoides, Muraena compressa
Reference	臺灣魚類誌(沈等, 1993)；The Live Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific, Vol.6(FAO, 2001)；Fishes of Japan(Nakabo, 2002)  沈世傑 編 Shih-Chieh Shen ed. 1993 Nakabo T. 2002 Nakabo T. 2002 Parenti, P. 2002
Specimen List	ASIZP0069495. ASIZP0069534. ASIZP0069555. ASIZP0071259. ASIZP0071377. NMMBP05360.
Common Name	Snake mackerel; Snack mackerel
Redlist Status	Not in IUCN Redlist
Characteristic	Body greatly elongate and strongly compressed; lower jaw extends anterior to upper jaw; tips of both jaws with dermal processes; 3 immovable and 0 to 3 movable fangs anteriorly in upper jaw; no fangs in lower jaw; vomer edentate. First dorsal-fin with XXVI to XXXII spines, its base very long, second dorsal fin with a minute spine and 11 to 14 soft rays followed by 5 or 6 finlets; anal fin with II free and I comprised spine and 10 to 12 soft rays followed by 6 or 7 finlets; pectoral fins with 12 to 15 soft rays; pelvic fins reduced to I spine and 3 or 4 soft rays. Two lateral lines, both originating below first spine of dorsal fin, the upper follows dorsal contour of body to end of first dorsal-fin base, the lower descends gradually posterior to about tip of pectoral fin and runs midlaterally. Scales absent except on posterior part of body. Vertebrae total 48 to 55, including 24 to 29 precaudal and 23 to 26 caudal. Colour: Body uniformly dark brown; all fins dark brown with somewhat darker margins.
habitats	Strictly oceanic and usually solitary. Adults migrate to the surface at night while larvae and juveniles are found near the surface during the day. Feeds on fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans.
Distribution	Worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is mainly found in eastern, northeastern and southern Taiwanese waters.
Utility	Sold frozen, as sausages or fish cake. Not eaten raw, but cooked in any way, also dried.