Cortez sea chub facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cortez sea chub |
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The Cortez sea chub, also called the Chopa Mojonera, is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It is a ray-finned fish and belongs to the family of sea chubs, called Kyphosidae. You can find this fish in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. It is sometimes caught by local fishermen.
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About the Cortez Sea Chub
The Cortez sea chub has an oval body that is flat on its sides. It has a small head and a pointy nose. Its mouth is also small. The teeth of this fish are very unique. They are shaped like tiny hockey sticks and are set in a single row in the front of both its upper and lower jaws.
Its top fin, called the dorsal fin, has 10 to 11 stiff spines and 13 soft rays. The front part of this fin can fold down into a groove on its back. The fin on its belly, called the anal fin, has 2 to 3 spines and 12 soft rays. The tail fin is forked, which means it looks like a "V" shape.
Most of the fish's body is covered in small, rough scales. The Cortez sea chub can be silvery, bronze, or brown in color. Some fish might even have a spotted pattern of white marks on their bodies. This spotted look is often seen when the fish is protecting its space. This fish can grow up to about 53 centimeters (21 inches) long, but they are usually around 25 centimeters (10 inches).
Where They Live
You can find the Cortez sea chub in the eastern Pacific Ocean. They live from the Gulf of California down to Panama. They also live around the Galapagos Islands and other islands in the eastern Pacific.
Home and Habits
The Cortez sea chub is a fish that lives near the coast. Adult fish are often found on reef flats or around coral reefs. Younger fish, called juveniles, sometimes live in tidal pools, which are small pools of water left behind by the tide.
These fish sometimes swim in groups with other types of sea chubs. They also graze, or eat, together with another fish called Prionurus laticlavius. The Cortez sea chub mainly eats algae, which are like sea plants. Sometimes, they also eat tiny ocean creatures called plankton and small animals that live on the seafloor. Scientists have found that a type of algae called Sargassum is a favorite food for them.
Fishing for Them
The Cortez sea chub is important for local fishing in some areas, like the Gulf of Montijo in Panama.
How They Got Their Name
The Cortez sea chub was first officially described in 1869 by a scientist named Wilhelm Peters. He first called it Pimelepterus elegans. Later, another scientist thought he found a new type of Kyphosus fish in Hawaii and named it Kyphosus sandvicensis. However, it turned out that Kyphosus sandvicensis was actually the same fish as Kyphosus elegans. So, the Cortez sea chub has had a couple of different names over time!
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