Asian sheepshead wrasse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Asian sheepshead wrasse |
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The Asian sheepshead wrasse is a really cool fish! It's also known as the Kobudai in Japan. This amazing fish is one of the biggest types of wrasse.
You can find this fish in the western Pacific Ocean. It lives around the Korean Peninsula, China, Japan, and the Ogasawara Islands. It loves to hang out in rocky reef areas.
This fish can grow quite large. It can reach up to 100 cm (39 in) (about 39 inches) long. The heaviest one ever recorded weighed 14.7 kg (32 lb) (about 32 pounds)! People in its home areas sometimes eat this fish.
A Fish That Can Change Sex
The Asian sheepshead wrasse, or kobudai, has a very special ability. It is a hermaphroditic species. This means it has both male and female parts. Because of this, it can actually change its sex!
This amazing transformation was even filmed by the BBC Earth crew. They caught it on camera while shooting near Sado Island, Japan. The footage was shown in 2017 on the Blue Planet II episode called "One Ocean."
Yoriko the Friendly Fish
There's a famous story about a Japanese diver named Hiroyuki Arakawa. He has had a special friendship with a sheepshead wrasse for 30 years! This happened in Japan's Tateyama Bay.
Hiroyuki Arakawa takes care of an underwater Shinto shrine there. He calls his fish friend, named "Yoriko," by hitting a bell on the underwater shrine. It's an amazing example of a bond between a human and a wild animal.
See also
In Spanish: Semicossyphus reticulatus para niños
