Blue-eye trevalla (Hyperoglyphe antarctica) are distributed in continental slope waters off South America, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Their Australian distribution stretches along the southern continental margin in waters from Moreton Island in Queensland to 30°S in WA. Blue-eye trevalla also occur on the seamounts off eastern Australia and south of Tasmania, Lord Howe Island and probably Norfolk Island. The species supports a significant fishery in New Zealand, where it is known as ‘blue-nose’ (Baelde 1996).

No genetic differences have been observed between the two different Australian morphs (Bolch et al. 1993) and allozyme surveys on the genetic structure of the blue-eye trevalla stock found no population differentiation in samples examined from NSW, Tasmania and SA (Hindell et al. 2006; Robinson et al. 2008).

Target fisheries for bluenose have occurred in the South Pacific from the early 1980s to the present day. Bluenose appear to prefer cold water as part of their habitat characteristics. Schools of relatively small adults (50–60 cm) are occasionally taken by trawl over smooth, muddy substrates (Anon 2006).

Relationships between the Australasian stocks of bluenose and those beyond the EEZs are unknown. Biological productivity is moderate. There are no available estimates of stock size, biomass or fishing mortality. There are currently no known management measures in place for bluenose (Paulovics and Williams 1995). Australian vessels use bottom longlines and drop lines on the high seas to catch bluenose.