Guinea flathead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Guinea flathead |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Platycephalidae |
| Genus: | Solitas Imamura, 1996 |
| Species: |
S. gruveli
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| Binomial name | |
| Solitas gruveli (Pellegrin, 1905)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Guinea flathead (Solitas gruveli) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It belongs to a group of fish called Platycephalidae, which are known as flatheads because of their flat heads! This fish is special because it's the only flathead species found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Africa. All other flatheads live in the Indo-Pacific region. It's also the only known member of its genus called Solitas.
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How Scientists Name and Classify the Guinea Flathead
Scientists use a system called taxonomy to name and group all living things. The Guinea flathead was first officially described in 1905 by a French zoologist named Jacques Pellegrin. He first called it Platycephalus gruveli.
Later, in 1996, another scientist named Hisashi Imamura decided that the Guinea flathead was so unique it needed its own special group, or genus, called Solitas. This means Solitas gruveli is the full scientific name for the Guinea flathead. It is part of the larger flathead family, Platycephalidae.
What Does the Name "Solitas Gruveli" Mean?
The name Solitas comes from a Latin word, solitarius, which means "alone." This name was chosen because the Guinea flathead is the only flathead fish found outside of the Indo-Pacific region, making it quite unique and "alone" in its location.
The second part of its name, gruveli, is a way to honor someone. It was named after a biologist named Jean Abel Gruvel, who was the person who collected the very first Guinea flathead specimen that scientists studied.
What Does the Guinea Flathead Look Like?
The Guinea flathead is a relatively small fish. It can grow up to about 20 cm (about 8 inches) long. However, most Guinea flatheads are usually around 18 cm (about 7 inches) long.
Where Does the Guinea Flathead Live and What Does It Eat?
The Guinea flathead lives in the warm, tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean. You can find it along the coast of Africa, from Mauritania in the north all the way down to Angola in the south. It also lives around the islands of São Tomé e Principe.
This fish prefers to live in shallow coastal waters, usually at depths between 20 and 200 meters (about 65 to 650 feet). It likes areas where the ocean floor is made of sand and mud. The Guinea flathead is a predator, meaning it hunts for its food. It mainly eats other small fish and crustaceans, like crabs and shrimp.
How Are Guinea Flatheads Fished?
People do fish for the Guinea flathead. They are mostly caught using a method called bottom trawling. This is when a large net is dragged along the bottom of the ocean to catch fish.
Once caught, the Guinea flathead is often sold fresh in local markets for people to eat. Sometimes, it is also salted to preserve it. Larger fishing boats might process the fish to make fish meal, which is used as animal feed.
 | Lonnie Johnson |
 | Granville Woods |
 | Lewis Howard Latimer |
 | James West |
