Northern sennet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern sennet |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scombriformes |
| Family: | Sphyraenidae |
| Genus: | Sphyraena |
| Species: |
S. borealis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Sphyraena borealis De Kay, 1842
|
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The northern sennet, also known as the northern barracuda, is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It belongs to the barracuda family, called Sphyraenidae. An American scientist named James Ellsworth De Kay first described this fish in 1842. He wrote about many animals found in New York. Even though people sometimes fish for northern sennets for fun, they are rarely eaten.
Contents
What Does the Northern Sennet Look Like?
Like other barracudas, northern sennets have long, thin bodies. Their heads look a bit like a pike fish, and they have big jaws. The lower jaw sticks out a little more than the upper jaw. Both jaws have sharp, fang-like teeth.
Fins and Bones
Northern sennets have two dorsal fins on their backs. These fins are far apart from each other. The front dorsal fin usually has stiff, pointed spines. The back dorsal fin has softer rays. These fish have 24 vertebrae, which are the bones that make up their backbone.
Their dorsal fins have five or six spines and nine rays. Their anal fins, which are on their underside, have only two spines and seven to nine rays.
Size and Color
Northern sennets can grow up to 46 centimeters (about 18 inches) long. However, they are usually considered the smallest type of barracuda. Many adult northern sennets are less than 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) long. The heaviest one ever recorded weighed only about 0.93 kilograms (about 2 pounds).
Northern sennets are olive-colored on their backs (dorsally). Their bellies (ventrally) are silvery-white. They also have several dark spots along their sides, near their lateral line.
Where Do Northern Sennets Live?
Northern sennets are only found in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean. They usually live in warm, subtropical areas. You can find them from Canada and Massachusetts down to southern Florida. They also live in the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern coast of Panama.
In places like the Gulf of Mexico, northern sennets often live near reefs. Reefs are underwater structures, often made of coral, that provide shelter and food for many sea creatures.
