Pike icefish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pike icefish |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: |
Notothenioidei
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| Family: |
Channichthyidae
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| Genus: |
Champsocephalus
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| Species: |
C. esox
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| Binomial name | |
| Champsocephalus esox (Günther, 1861)
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| Synonyms | |
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Chaenichthys esox Günther, 1861 |
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The pike icefish, Champsocephalus esox, is a species of crocodile icefish found at depths of 50–250 m (160–820 ft) in the oceans off Patagonia, the Falklands and rarely South Georgia.It is a demersal species that reaches 35 cm (14 in) in length and mainly feeds on fishes and krill. A South Georgian study in 1981 collected a specimen with stomach contents of 90% krill (Euphasia superba) and 10% fish. This species has a whitish body, dark brown caudal fins, and dark brown bars (sometimes forming irregular dark blotches connected with yellowish regions) with no scales except on its lateral line.It is of minor importance to commercial fisheries, with catches in 2008 amounting to a total of 90 tonnes. The fish are trawled from January to March, but none are caught in the winter. It is the only species of crocodile icefish found north of the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone, with only 3 specimens reported south of the CCALMR area．
See also
In Spanish: Champsocephalus esox para niños
