Beardfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beardfishes |
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| Stout Beardfish, (P. nobilis) | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Infraclass: | Teleostei |
| Superorder: | Paracanthopterygii Nelson et al 2016 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The beardfishes are a group of deep-sea fish. They have a special feature: two long "whiskers" or feelers called barbels that hang from their chins. These barbels help them find food on the ocean floor. Today, there is only one type of beardfish left, called Polymixia.
For a long time, scientists kept changing their minds about where beardfishes fit in the fish family tree. They were often moved between different groups. Now, they are placed in a larger group called Paracanthopterygii. Beardfishes are not usually caught for food, so they are not very important for fishing.
You can find beardfishes in warm, tropical, and subtropical parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific Ocean. They live near the bottom of the ocean, sometimes as deep as 800 meters (about 2,600 feet). Most beardfishes are quite small. However, one type, the Polymixia berndti, can grow to be over 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long.
What are Beardfishes?
Beardfishes are a unique type of ray-finned fish. This means their fins are supported by bony spines, like many other fish you know. Their most famous feature is their barbels. These are not just for show; they are sensory organs. They help the fish feel and taste things in the dark, deep ocean. This allows them to find small creatures to eat hidden in the sand or mud.
Beardfish Families
While there is only one living group of beardfishes (the Polymixia genus), there were other types in the past. Scientists have found fossils of ancient beardfishes. These fossils help us understand how beardfishes have changed over millions of years. The main family of living beardfishes is called Polymixiidae.
Here are some of the known types of beardfishes, including those that are now extinct (marked with †):
- Family Polymixiidae (This is the main family)
- Genus Polymixia (These are the beardfishes alive today)
- P. berndti (Pacific beardfish)
- P. busakhini (Busakhin's beardfish)
- P. fusca
- P. japonica (Silver eye)
- P. longispina
- P. lowei (Beardfish)
- P. nobilis (Stout beardfish)
- †P. polita (An extinct type)
- P. salagomeziensis
- P. sazonovi
- P. yuri
- Genus Polymixia (These are the beardfishes alive today)
Images for kids
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Stout Beardfish, (P. nobilis)
See also
In Spanish: Barbudos para niños
