Ateleopodidae

Ateleopodidae is a small family of marine perciform fishes commonly referred to as the “bicycle knifefishes” or “flatheads.” The family comprises two genera, Ateleopus and Ateleopsis, and contains around fifteen species. Members of this family are elongated, laterally flattened fishes that possess a dorsally positioned eye and a long, slender snout. Their bodies exhibit a pale, silver to brownish coloration with darker spots or bands along the dorsal side and a translucent caudal fin. They have a distinctive “cig‑shaped” body in life, with the head and anterior half of the body showing a head‑shaped profile when viewed from the side.

Ateleopodids inhabit deep‑water marine environments, generally between 100 and 600 metres, but some species are known to occupy depths exceeding 1000 metres. They are distributed globally in subtropical and temperate seas, with a concentration in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, especially around the continental slopes and seamounts. Their diet primarily consists of small invertebrates, including crustaceans and molluscs, and some species may also consume cephalopods and small fishes.

The reproductive biology of Ateleopodidae remains poorly understood, but like many deep‑water perciforms, they are likely to exhibit oviparous reproduction with pelagic larval stages. These fishes are of limited commercial importance; they are occasionally caught incidentally in deep‑water trawls, but they are not targeted by major fisheries. Conservation concerns are minimal at present, yet their deep‑water habitats make them susceptible to by‑catch and potential impacts from deep‑sea mining activities.