Rosy-lipped batfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rosy-lipped batfish |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ogcocephalus
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| Species: |
porrectus
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The rosy-lipped batfish, scientifically named Ogcocephalus porrectus, is a very unique fish. It lives only around Cocos Island off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. These fish prefer warm, tropical waters. You can find them on the ocean floor, from shallow areas to depths of about 35 to 150 meters.
What makes this fish special? It has bright rosy-red lips! It also has special pectoral fins that it uses to "walk" on the seafloor. Plus, it has a cool fishing lure called an illicium to help it catch food.
What Does the Rosy-Lipped Batfish Look Like?
One of the most interesting parts of the rosy-lipped batfish is its illicium. This is like a small fishing rod that grows from its back. It's thought to be a changed part of its dorsal fin spine. At the end of this "fishing rod" is a fleshy lure called an esca. In the rosy-lipped batfish, this esca looks like two small, round bumps.
The rosy-lipped batfish, like other batfish, has only two small bones in its illicium. The front spine is very short and hidden inside the esca. The illicium and its lure are kept in a special pocket on the fish's head. This pocket is covered by skin that can fold like an accordion. This lets the lure pop out and move when the fish wants to attract prey.
Rosy-lipped batfish have a flat body, like a pancake. Their head is a bit flat but also raised. The back part of their body is slightly rounded. They have strong, cone-shaped scales that overlap a little. These scales give them armor-like protection.
They have three kinds of scales. One is a simple cone with a spine, called a tubercle. Another is a buckler, which is a cone with many spines. Most of the rosy-lipped batfish's body is covered in these buckler scales. They also have special scales for their lateral line system. This system helps them sense movement in the water. The lateral line runs along their lips, cheeks, eyes, and down their body to their tail fin.
The largest rosy-lipped batfish found was about 14.7 centimeters long. But on average, they are smaller, around 7.35 centimeters long.
Their mouth is at the very front and is quite small. They have tiny, cone-shaped teeth on their jaws and other parts of their mouth. Their gill openings are small and found on the top, near the back of their flat body. The rosy-lipped batfish has only two and a half gills.
The rosy-lipped batfish has 2 or 3 dorsal fin rays and 14 pectoral fin rays. Their pectoral fins are angled sideways and spread out at the back of their body. These fins look like legs and are used for "walking" on the seafloor, not so much for swimming. Their pelvic fins are much smaller and are found on the underside of their body, in front of the pectoral fins. The anal fin is small and long.
When preserved, these fish usually look pale. But they often have two dark spots near the middle of their body. In living fish, their dorsal side, fins, and especially their lips can be a bright reddish color. This is how they got their common name!
What Do Rosy-Lipped Batfish Eat?
The lure (esca) of the rosy-lipped batfish might not attract prey by sight. However, some other batfish species are known to release a special chemical from their lure to attract food. Batfish mainly eat small creatures that live on the ocean floor. For example, other batfish species are known to eat small snails and crabs.
Discovering the Rosy-Lipped Batfish
The rosy-lipped batfish was first described in 1899 by a scientist named Garman. He studied four specimens of the fish. Later, in 1958, another scientist named C.L. Hubbs named the largest of these specimens as the main example. But in 1962, Bradbury changed this, giving it a new name and making the others secondary examples.
Scientists have studied the family of batfish, called Ogcocephalidae. They believe these fish started to evolve about 54 million years ago. They think they came from a zone in the ocean where light starts to fade, between the continental shelf and the deep slope.
This species is not currently listed as threatened or endangered. However, there is a risk that they can be caught by accident in fishing nets, which is called by-catch.
