Knobbed porgy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Knobbed porgy |
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The knobbed porgy (Calamus nodosus) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's part of the bream and porgy family, called Sparidae. These fish are found only in the western part of the warm, tropical Atlantic Ocean. People often catch them for food using special nets called trawling nets or by fishing with a rod and line (angling).
The knobbed porgy got its name from two scientists, John Randall and David Caldwell. They named it in 1966 while studying a group of fish called Calamus. Their findings were published in a science magazine called Science.
About the Knobbed Porgy
Knobbed porgies have a body that is quite deep from top to bottom. Their head shape is interesting: as they get older and bigger, the back of their neck (called the nape) sticks out more. This can make their forehead look like it has a hump!
Their colors are similar to another fish called the littlehead porgy. They can be silver or brassy, sometimes with a pinkish glow. Their snout and cheeks often have a violet color. A special way to tell knobbed porgies apart is by the blue lines on their yellowish underside.
The longest knobbed porgy ever found was about 54.4 centimeters (about 21 inches) long. But most adult knobbed porgies usually grow to be around 35 centimeters (about 14 inches). These fish can live for a long time, sometimes up to 17 years! The heaviest one recorded weighed about 2.63 kilograms (about 5.8 pounds).
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Like many other fish, knobbed porgies are what we call sequential hermaphrodites. This means they can change their sex during their lives. Knobbed porgies are born female. As they grow older and reach about 30 to 50 centimeters (12 to 20 inches) in length, they change and become male.
Where Knobbed Porgies Live
In the western Atlantic Ocean, you can find the knobbed porgy from the coast of North Carolina all the way south to eastern Florida. They also live throughout the entire Gulf of Mexico, including near Cuba and the Campeche bank.
These fish prefer to live over hard bottoms in the ocean, at depths from 7 to 90 meters (about 23 to 295 feet). You might find them near rocky ledges, coral reefs, or in areas with gravel, sea grass, or sand.
Knobbed porgies are carnivores, which means they eat other animals. Their main diet includes mollusks (like snails and clams), polychaetes (a type of worm), crabs, and sea urchins.
See also
In Spanish: Calamus nodosus para niños
