Pink frogmouth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pink frogmouth |
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The pink frogmouth (Chaunax pictus) is a unique deep-sea fish. It is also known as the redeye, pink gaper, or uniform gaper. This fish belongs to a group called ray-finned fish and is part of the family Chaunacidae, which are often called "sea toads." You can find the pink frogmouth living in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Discovering the Pink Frogmouth
The pink frogmouth was first officially described in 1846. An English naturalist named Richard Thomas Lowe gave it its scientific name. He found the first specimen near Funchal off the coast of Madeira.
When Lowe described this fish, he also created a new genus called Chaunax. This made the pink frogmouth the very first species to be placed in the Chaunax group. The name Chaunax means "one who gapes," which refers to these fish having large, wide mouths. The specific name pictus means "painted" or "brightly colored," describing the fish's vibrant look.
Sea toads, including the pink frogmouth, are part of a larger group of fish called anglerfish.
What Does a Pink Frogmouth Look Like?
The pink frogmouth has a round, slightly flattened body. It gets narrower towards its small, rounded tail fin. Its head is quite large and somewhat box-shaped, with small eyes covered by clear skin.
It has a big mouth that slants upwards, filled with many small, sharp teeth. The opening for its gills is tiny. This fish has loose, soft skin covered in very small, tooth-like bumps called denticles.
Special Fishing Lure
Like other anglerfish, the pink frogmouth has a special fishing lure. It has three spines on its back, but only the first one, called the illicium, is visible. This illicium acts like a fishing rod.
At the end of the illicium is a lure, or esca, which looks like a mop made of thin strands. The fish uses this lure to attract prey. When it's not using the lure, it can fold it down into a special dip on its snout.
Fins and Color
The main fin on its back, called the dorsal fin, is located near the tail and has 10 to 12 soft rays. The fin on its belly, the anal fin, has 6 or 7 soft rays.
The pink frogmouth is usually rosy red to orange-red in color. It might have some yellow spots on its back. Its belly and fins are a darker red. The spot on its snout where the lure rests is dark brown or black. The lure itself is bluish-black in the front and white in the back. This fish can grow up to about 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long.
Where Do Pink Frogmouths Live?
The pink frogmouth lives only in the Atlantic Ocean. If you hear about them in other parts of the world, it's usually a mistake in identification.
In the eastern Atlantic, you can find them from the coast of Ireland down to South Africa. This includes places like the Azores, Madeira, and Cape Verde. In the western Atlantic, their range stretches from New York down to the Amazon River, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
These fish live deep in the ocean, usually between 200 and 1000 meters (about 650 to 3,300 feet) deep. They can be found over both soft and hard seafloors.
Images for kids
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A pink frogmouth fish
