Darkfin hind facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Darkfin hind |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Cephalopholis urodeta from French Polynesia | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Serranidae |
| Subfamily: | Epinephelinae |
| Genus: | Cephalopholis |
| Species: |
C. urodeta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cephalopholis urodeta (Forster, 1801)
|
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
|
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The darkfin hind (scientific name: Cephalopholis urodeta) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's also known by other names like flagtail rockcod or V-tail grouper. This fish belongs to a group called groupers, which are part of the larger sea bass family. You can find the darkfin hind in the western Pacific Ocean and parts of the eastern Indian Ocean.
Contents
About the Darkfin Hind
The darkfin hind has a body that is not as deep as its head is long. Its body is about one-third as deep as its total length. The area between its eyes is curved, and the edge of its gill cover is slightly rough.
Appearance and Colors
The darkfin hind has a reddish-brown to light grayish-brown color. It gets darker towards its tail. You can see clear whitish or light blue diagonal lines on both parts of its tail fin.
This fish often has six faint bars along its sides. These bars split towards its belly. It also has small orange-red spots on its head and neck. There are two dark spots near the tip of its lower lip. Its pectoral fins (the ones on its sides) are yellowish. Usually, there is a large reddish or brownish spot on the edge of its gill cover.
This is a smaller type of grouper. It can grow up to about 28 centimeters (11 inches) long.
Where Darkfin Hinds Live
The darkfin hind is mostly found in the western Pacific Ocean. It also lives near Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Geographic Range
Its range stretches north to Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan. It goes south to the southern Great Barrier Reef in Australia. To the east, it can be found as far as French Polynesia and Pitcairn Island. It has also been seen in places like the Phoenix Islands and Brunei.
In 1958, over 1,800 darkfin hinds were released near Oahu in Hawaii. However, they did not manage to start a new population there.
Habitat and Life of the Darkfin Hind
Darkfin hinds live in clear, shallow waters around coral reefs. They can be found in outer reef areas, inside lagoons, and on top of reefs.
Behavior and Diet
These fish usually live alone. They prefer healthy coral reefs in shallow areas. They mostly eat small fish, which makes up about 68% of their diet. They also eat small crustaceans, like crabs and shrimp.
They can live in waters as deep as 60 meters (about 200 feet). One male darkfin hind will have a territory that includes the areas of up to six females. The male will try to attract the females in the afternoons.
Darkfin Hind and Other Species
This species was once thought to live all over the Indian Ocean. However, scientists now believe the fish in the Indian Ocean are a different species called Cephalopholis nigripinnis.
Hybridization
The darkfin hind and Cephalopholis nigripinnis are known to mix and have offspring together. This happens at Christmas Island, where fish with features of both species have been found.
Use by Humans
The darkfin hind is too small to be a big target for commercial fishing. However, local fishermen sometimes catch them for food.
Sometimes, you can find the darkfin hind in the aquarium trade. People keep them as pets in fish tanks.
 | Jewel Prestage |
 | Ella Baker |
 | Fannie Lou Hamer |
