Blackhead seabream facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blackhead seabream |
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The blackhead seabream (scientific name: Acanthopagrus schlegelii) is a cool type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's also known as the black porgy or black seabream. This fish belongs to a group called "ray-finned fish" and is part of the Sparidae family, which includes many seabreams and porgies. You can find this fish in the western Pacific Ocean. It's quite important for fishing, especially in Vietnam.
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How Scientists Name the Blackhead Seabream
Scientists give every living thing a special name. This helps them organize and study different species. The blackhead seabream was first officially described in 1854. A Dutch scientist named Pieter Bleeker gave it the name Chrysophrys schlegelii. He found it near Nagasaki, Japan.
Some scientists think there might be two slightly different types of this fish. They call them A. schlegelii and A. czerskii. Other scientists believe they are just different versions of the same species.
Where the Name Comes From
The second part of the blackhead seabream's scientific name, schlegelii, honors a German scientist. His name was Hermann Schlegel. He was famous for studying birds and reptiles. He also helped write a book called Fauna Japonica, which Pieter Bleeker often used.
There's also a subspecies called A. s. czerskii. This name honors Alexander Ivanovich Czerski. He was a scientist who studied birds. His father was a well-known Polish explorer. Alexander collected the first sample of this specific fish.
What the Blackhead Seabream Looks Like
The blackhead seabream has a unique look. Its top fin, called the dorsal fin, has 11 or 12 strong spines. It also has 11 soft rays. The fin underneath, called the anal fin, has 3 spines and 8 soft rays.
One way to tell this fish apart is its fins. Its dorsal, tail (caudal), anal, and bottom (pelvic) fins are all light in color. The rest of its body is usually black or gray. Its belly is silvery. You might also see faint stripes along its body. It has a round spot on the top edge of its gill cover. This fish can grow up to about 50 centimeters (20 inches) long.
Where the Blackhead Seabream Lives
You can find the blackhead seabream in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It lives in places like the Sea Of Japan. It's also found along the eastern coast of Japan, especially south of central Honshu. This fish also lives in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea.
This species likes to live in calm bays. It also enjoys shallow rocky reefs. Sometimes, you can find it in brackish water. This is water that is a mix of fresh and salt water. They can live in waters as deep as 50 meters (about 164 feet).
Blackhead Seabream Life Cycle and Diet
The blackhead seabream is a predator. This means it hunts other smaller creatures for food. It mostly eats molluscs, like snails or clams. It also enjoys polychaetes, which are a type of marine worm.
This fish has a special way of reproducing. It's a "protandrous hermaphrodite." This means that young fish are usually male. As they get older, some of them change into females. They lay their eggs during the spring and summer months. Spawning happens most often just before sunset. It seems that the decreasing light helps them know when to spawn. Male blackhead seabreams can live up to 20 years. Females can live even longer, up to 28 years! There are usually more males among the younger, smaller fish.
Fishing and Farming the Blackhead Seabream
The blackhead seabream is a very important fish for food. People in Vietnam especially value it. It's also a key fish in aquaculture. Aquaculture is like farming, but for fish and other water animals. Countries like Korea, China, and Japan raise this fish in farms. In 2022, China produced a huge amount: 123,000 tons of blackhead seabream!
