Planehead filefish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Planehead filefish |
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The planehead filefish (scientific name: Stephanolepis hispidus) is a fascinating type of bony fish. It's a ray-finned fish, meaning its fins are supported by bony rays. This fish belongs to the family called Monacanthidae, which are often known as filefish because of their rough, file-like skin.
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About the Planehead Filefish
The planehead filefish can grow up to 27 centimeters (about 10.5 inches) long. However, most of them are usually around 17 centimeters (about 6.7 inches).
Appearance and Colors
This fish is a master of disguise! Its color helps it blend in with its surroundings. It can be a mix of pale brown, olive, or green. Sometimes, it has darker brown spots and stripes.
Its body is flat from side to side, almost like a pancake standing on its edge. It also has a deep body shape. The front of its head, called the snout, is long, and its mouth is at the very end.
The planehead filefish has large, yellow eyes placed high on its head. Above its eye, there's a special spine that it can pull back into its body. This spine is the first of two spines on its long dorsal fin (the fin on its back). This dorsal fin also has 29 to 35 soft rays.
The fin on its belly, called the anal fin, has no spines. It has between 30 and 35 soft rays. Its pectoral fins (on its sides) are small. The tail fin is large and shaped like a fan, often showing two darker bands of color.
Differences Between Males and Females
Male and female planehead filefish look a bit different, especially when they are grown up. This is called sexual dimorphism.
In adult males, the second soft ray of the dorsal fin grows very long. It can reach between 104 and 128 millimeters (about 4 to 5 inches)! Males also develop a patch of bristles (stiff hairs) on the scales near their tail. Females do not have these special features. Females tend to have a deeper body than males, but both sexes can vary in this trait.
Where They Live
The planehead filefish lives in the Atlantic Ocean. You can find them at depths of up to 300 meters (about 984 feet).
Their home range stretches from Nova Scotia in Canada all the way down to Uruguay in South America on the western side of the Atlantic. On the eastern side, they live from the Canary Islands near Africa down to Angola.
These fish usually hang out near the seabed. They can be found on reefs, which are like underwater cities made of coral or rock. They also live over sandy and muddy parts of the ocean floor. Sometimes, you might spot them hiding among Sargassum seaweed, which floats in large mats on the ocean surface.
Life Cycle and Growth
Scientists have studied the growth and aging of the planehead filefish, especially around the Canary Islands.
These fish usually lay their eggs and reproduce during the summer months. To figure out how old a fish is, scientists look at the growth rings inside the spine of its front dorsal fin. These rings are like the rings you see in a tree trunk, showing periods of fast and slow growth.
The planehead filefish typically lives for about three years. By the time they finish their first year, they have usually reached about half of their full adult length.
How People Use Them
Yes, people can eat the planehead filefish! In the Canary Islands, fishermen catch them using fish traps.
A while ago, these fish were not the main target for fishermen. They were often caught by accident while trying to catch other, more popular fish. This is called a "by-catch."
However, since the 1980s, the planehead filefish has become a fish that fishermen specifically try to catch. By the year 2000, people started to worry that too many of these fish were being caught, which could lead to "overfishing." This means catching so many fish that their numbers in the ocean start to drop too low.
