Popeye catalufa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Popeye catalufa |
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The popeye catalufa (Pristigenys serrula) is a cool fish that lives in the ocean. It's also called the bigeye soldierfish because of its super big eyes! This fish is part of a group called bigeyes (family Priacanthidae).
Popeye catalufas are usually orange or red with some white spots. Their top fin looks a bit like a feather, and their other fins have black edges. You can find them in the eastern Pacific Ocean, all the way from Oregon down to Chile. Sometimes, people even keep them in aquariums!
These fish can grow up to 34 centimetres (13 in) long. They are shy and mostly active at night (nocturnal). They like to hang out in deeper waters around islands. While they sometimes swim near squirrelfishes and cardinalfishes, popeye catalufas can go much deeper, sometimes as far down as 76 metres (249 ft)! They live in rocky places, from shallow waters (less than 5 metres (16 ft)) to very deep areas (over 100 metres (330 ft)). They eat meat, like worms, crustaceans (think crabs or shrimp), and brittle stars.
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Where Does the Popeye Catalufa Live?
The popeye catalufa, or Pristigenys serrula, lives in a wide area. You can find them from Oregon in the north, all the way down to Chile in the south. They also live near the Galapagos Islands and Panama. While they are seen in Oregon, most of them live along the coasts of California and Central America.
These fish can live in cooler waters because of warm ocean currents. However, they don't usually follow these currents to places like New Zealand or the Mediterranean Sea, where other fish that like warm currents are found.
What Kind of Home Does it Like?
Popeye catalufas are a type of fish that lives near the ocean floor (epibenthic). They prefer rocky areas or coral reefs. You can find them at depths from 5 metres (16 ft) to 400 metres (1,300 ft). Sometimes, they even hide in underwater caves!
This is true for adult fish. But when they are eggs, tiny larvae, or young fish, they live in the open water. They stay in the middle of the ocean until they grow up.
What Does the Popeye Catalufa Look Like?
Most popeye catalufas are about 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long, but some can grow up to 34 centimetres (13 in). Their bodies are deep and strong, and they are flattened from side to side. They have very large eyes, which are about one-third the size of their head! Their mouth points upwards.
One of the coolest things about this fish is its bright red eyes and body. Their tail and fins often have dark patterns. The edges of their cheeks and around their eyes have small, saw-like teeth (serrated). They also have short gill rakers, which help them filter food from the water.
- The top fin (dorsal fin) has 10 to 11 soft rays.
- The side fins (pectoral fins) have 17 to 18 rays.
- The bottom fin (anal fin) has 10 to 11 soft rays.
These fish have very small scales. Their lateral line, which helps them sense movement in the water, has 42 to 51 scales. The spines on their dorsal fin are tall, but the first and last ones are shorter. The spines on their anal fin are similar but even shorter.
Their pectoral fins are the smallest. Their pelvic fins are long and can reach the base of the second anal spine. The dorsal and anal fins are covered in a sheath, and their vertical fins have a dusky, speckled look. The fins near their belly are black, and their pectoral fins are pale. All the spines on the fish are a bit rough. Their mouth and gill membranes are covered in tiny, spiny scales.
Popeye catalufas are light olive in color with four dark stripes along their sides. These stripes are wider than the spaces between them. The last stripe is near the base of their tail. Their tail base (caudal peduncle) is longer than in other fish in their family.
Life Cycle of the Popeye Catalufa
The eggs, larvae, and young fish of the popeye catalufa family live in the open ocean. They float in the middle of the water as they grow. Once they are big enough, they change into adult fish. Then they move to live in rocky reefs and crevices on the ocean floor.
The development of this fish has four main stages:
- Larval stage: The very early stage.
- Preflexion stage: Pigmentation (color) starts to appear on their head and under their mouth.
- Postflexion stage: More color spreads to the back of their head, increases on their gut, and starts to reach their tail fin.
- Adult transformation stage: The fish is fully colored, except for its tail.
Reproduction
When popeye catalufas reproduce, they release tiny, round eggs into the open water. These eggs float freely and are not cared for by the parents. Small larvae hatch from these eggs. They have a yolk sac for food, eyes that aren't fully colored yet, and undeveloped mouths.
Scientists think that popeye catalufas lay their eggs between August and December. This is when most of their larvae are seen in the ocean.
How Long Do They Live?
We don't have a lot of information about how long a popeye catalufa lives. However, some large fish have been studied. Scientists estimated that some big ones were around 9 years old or even older. In one case, a popeye catalufa that was 33 centimetres (13 in) long was thought to be about 15 years old! Scientists can estimate a fish's age by looking at its ear bones, called otoliths.
What Does the Popeye Catalufa Do?
Popeye catalufas are reef and crevice-dwelling fish. This means they live in and around rocky reefs and cracks in the ocean floor. You can often see them swimming just above the sand near holes in the ground, almost any time of day.
These fish are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. They usually hunt at night. However, some have been seen feeding during the day if they live in caves. Any daytime eating they do is usually just if they get a lucky chance.
Interestingly, some scientists observed a popeye catalufa in an aquarium that seemed to sleep at night. This is different from wild fish of this family, which usually hunt and eat at night. Another cool thing about these fish is that they can make sounds. They might even use these sounds to talk to each other!
What Do Popeye Catalufas Eat?
Popeye catalufas eat a variety of things. Their diet includes:
- Crustaceans (like crabs and shrimp)
- Small octopuses
- Polychaetes (a type of worm)
- Other small fish
They are often predators of smaller creatures, especially crabs. They also prey on pelagic shrimp and stomatopods (a type of marine crustacean).
Who Eats the Popeye Catalufa?
It's not very clear who specifically preys on the popeye catalufa. However, another fish from the same family, called Priacanthus japonicus, has been found in the stomachs of yellowfin tuna. This suggests that tuna might also eat popeye catalufas. Also, a tiny parasite called Caligus cookeoli has been found on these fish.
Images for kids
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A popeye catalufa swimming.
