Magpie perch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magpie perch |
|
|---|---|
.gif) |
|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: |
Cheilodactylidae
|
| Genus: |
Cheilodactylus
|
| Species: |
C. nigripes
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cheilodactylus nigripes J. Richardson, 1850
|
|
The magpie perch (Cheilodactylus nigripes), also known as the magpie morwong or black-striped morwong, is a type of fish. It belongs to a group of fish called morwongs. You can find this fish in the waters off southern Australia and northern New Zealand. It lives in both shallow areas near the coast and deeper waters, sometimes as deep as 250 meters!
Scientists are always learning new things about animals. Because of new studies on its genes and body shape, some scientists now think the magpie perch should be in its own special group, or genus, called Pseudogoniistius. This new group is part of a different fish family called Latridae.
About the Magpie Perch
The magpie perch is a medium-sized fish. When it's fully grown, it can be anywhere from 30 to 50 centimeters long. That's about the length of a school ruler!
Where It Lives
In Australia, the magpie perch lives along the coast from Albany in Western Australia all the way to Kiama in New South Wales. This includes the waters around South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. These fish love to live on rocky reefs. These reefs provide them with places to hide and find food.
What It Eats
The magpie perch is not a picky eater! It finds its meals on the rocky reefs where it lives. Its diet includes different kinds of mollusks, which are soft-bodied animals like snails or clams. It also eats polychaetes, which are a type of segmented worm, and various kinds of algae, which are like sea plants.
Special Abilities
One cool thing about the magpie morwong is its ability to change its look very quickly. It has a central black band on its body. This fish can almost instantly "turn off" or fade this black band. This special trick might help it blend in with its surroundings or communicate with other fish.
Images for kids
-
A young magpie perch, also known as a juvenile.
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2006). "Cheilodactylus nigripes" in FishBase. January 2006 version.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN: 0-00-216987-8
