Foxfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Foxfish |
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| Foxfish Bodianus frenchii off Rottnest Island | |
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The foxfish, also known by its scientific name Bodianus frenchii, is a type of wrasse fish. It lives in the cool, temperate waters off the coast of Australia. You can find foxfish in the southwestern part of Western Australia, eastern South Australia, southern Queensland, and eastern Tasmania. These fish usually live in waters that are between 10 and 40 meters deep. Interestingly, there's a part of the coast in Victoria where you won't find them. A grown foxfish can be up to 45 centimeters long.
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What Does a Foxfish Look Like?
Foxfish can be brown, red, or orange. They usually have two spots on their back. When foxfish are young, they look a bit different. Young foxfish are brown and have three yellow patches. They also have a black area near their pectoral fin, which is the fin on their side, like an arm.
Where Foxfish Live and Their Life Cycle
Foxfish love to live in rocky areas. You'll often find them hiding under ledges or inside caves. These fish can live for a very long time, sometimes more than 60 years!
Foxfish have an interesting way of reproducing. They are what scientists call "protogynous hermaphrodites." This means they start their lives as females and can later change into males. They lay their eggs, a process called spawning, several times during late spring and summer. When it's time to breed, a male and female foxfish will pair up.
Foxfish and People
People sometimes catch foxfish, but usually not on purpose. They are often caught by accident in large fishing nets used for other fish, especially off the coasts of New South Wales and Western Australia. In Western Australia, some people like to catch foxfish for fun, and the state has rules about how many they can catch. Foxfish are also sometimes caught to be kept in aquariums, and they are quite popular in the United States.
Why is it Called a Foxfish?
The name "foxfish" is a bit of a mystery! Scientists think it might have come from a mistake. There's another fish called Bodianus vulpinus, which means "fox-like" in its scientific name. Even though the foxfish doesn't really look like a fox, the name stuck!
Scientists have noticed something interesting about foxfish. There's a gap where they don't live off the coast of Victoria. The foxfish populations on the eastern and western sides of this gap look a little different from each other. This makes scientists wonder if they might actually be two different species!
