Painted comber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Painted comber |
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| Painted comber (Serranus scriba) | |
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The painted comber (Serranus scriba) is a colorful type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's a kind of sea bass, part of a bigger family of fish called Serranidae, which also includes groupers. You can find this fish in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. Sometimes, people get its name mixed up with another fish called the rose fish.
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About the Painted Comber's Appearance
The painted comber has a body that is a bit flat on the sides and long. It has a pointy nose. Its top fin (called the dorsal fin) has 10 stiff spines and 4 to 16 soft rays. The fin underneath (the anal fin) has 3 spines and 7 or 8 soft rays. Its tail fin is straight.
This fish has a very big mouth for its size. Inside, it has many sharp teeth. The mouth can also stick out, which helps it catch food.
Colors and Patterns
The painted comber can be grey, purplish, or reddish. It usually has 5 to 7 dark brown stripes on its sides. Its head is covered with many thin, wavy blue lines and red spots. The fins on its back, belly, and tail have red dots. There's also a soft, purplish-blue spot in the middle of its body. The fins on its chest and belly are usually a plain pale yellow.
Size of the Fish
The biggest painted comber ever found was about 36 centimetres (14 in) long. However, most of them are usually around 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long.
Where Painted Combers Live
You can find the painted comber in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Its main home is from the Straits of Gibraltar down to Senegal. This includes the Canary Islands. Sometimes, they are found as far north as the Bay of Biscay. They also live in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
Life and Habits of the Painted Comber
Painted combers like to live on rocky seabeds. They also live among beds of Posidonia, which are like underwater seagrass. They can be found at depths from 5 metres (16 ft) to 150 metres (490 ft).
Daily Life and Hunting
During the day, these fish usually hide in rocky caves. They are often alone or in small groups. When evening comes, they come out to hunt for food. They are meat-eaters. They are also territorial, meaning they defend their space. They are ambush hunters, waiting to surprise their prey.
What They Eat
Their diet includes many different things. They eat cephalopods (like small octopuses), bivalves (like clams), crustaceans (like crabs), other small fish, and worms. Sometimes, you can find painted combers waiting near the entrance of an octopus's home. They do this to eat the leftover parts of shellfish that the octopus discards.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The painted comber's spawning season is from late spring to early summer. They lay their eggs under stones close to the shore. These fish are special because they are synchronous hermaphrodites. This means each fish has both male and female parts. They might even be able to fertilize their own eggs! Painted combers can live for up to 16 years.
How Painted Combers Got Their Name
The painted comber was first officially described by a famous scientist named Linnaeus. He wrote about it in his book Systema Naturae in 1758. He first called it Perca scriba.
Painted Combers and Humans
People catch painted combers in local fisheries. They use fishing lines with hooks or special nets called trawls. The fish is said to taste good and can be cooked in many different ways.
Images for kids
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Drawing of a "Lettered Serramus" from The natural history of fishes of the perch family - The Naturalist's Library, 1835
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View from the top
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