Roughback batfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roughback batfish |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Lophiiformes |
| Family: | Ogcocephalidae |
| Genus: | Ogcocephalus |
| Species: |
O. parvus
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| Binomial name | |
| Ogcocephalus parvus Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
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The roughback batfish (scientific name: Ogcocephalus parvus) is a cool type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's part of a group called "batfishes" because of their unique shape. You can find this fish in many places across the western part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Contents
About the Roughback Batfish
How Scientists Name Fish
The roughback batfish was first officially described in 1940. Two American scientists, William Harding Longley and Samuel Frederick Hildebrand, gave it its scientific name. They found the first one near Tortugas, Florida. It was living about 40 to 60 fathoms deep. (A fathom is about 6 feet, so that's pretty deep!)
The roughback batfish belongs to a larger group of fish called Ogcocephalus. This group is part of the batfish family, called Ogcocephalidae. Batfishes are also a type of anglerfish.
What Its Name Means
The name Ogcocephalus comes from two old Greek words. Ogkos means "hook," and cephalus means "head." This name probably refers to the pointy snout that some batfishes have. The second part of its name, parvus, is Latin for "small." So, its full scientific name means "small hook-headed fish."
What Does the Roughback Batfish Look Like?
The roughback batfish has a unique look. Its head is quite tall, and its body is shaped like a triangle. It has a pointy snout that can look like a finger or a small cone, pointing upwards.
Right under its snout, it has a special fishing lure called an esca. This lure has three soft points and can be pulled back into a small pocket. Its eyes are on the sides of its head. The fish has a small mouth, less than half the width of its head.
Its fins are also interesting. The fins on its chest and belly look a bit like limbs. The pectoral fins (on its chest) are not widely attached to its body. It has small dorsal and anal fins. The dorsal fin (on its back) is covered in skin and sits on its tail. The anal fin (under its tail) is fleshy.
Its Skin and Spines
The top of the roughback batfish's body is covered in large, shield-like scales with pointy spines. The bottom of its body has many bony, pointed scales. The underside of its tail is covered in small spines, with a few larger ones down the middle.
Colors and Patterns
The color of the roughback batfish can change depending on where it lives.
- In the Gulf of Mexico, they are usually dark brown on top.
- Off the Atlantic Coast of the United States, they can be bright tan.
- Near Guyana, they are very dark.
The patterns of spots, and the colors of its underside, fins, and lips, also change depending on the area. The roughback batfish can grow up to about 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) long.
Where Does the Roughback Batfish Live?
The roughback batfish lives in many parts of the western Atlantic Ocean. You can find it from North Carolina down to the Bahamas. It also lives all over the Gulf of Mexico (except near Cuba) and in the Caribbean Sea. It has been seen near Jamaica and Puerto Rico. It also lives along the coast of Central and South America, from Mexico down to Suriname.
This fish usually lives in water between 29 and 126 meters (about 95 to 413 feet) deep. However, it is most often found in shallower waters, usually less than 54 meters (about 177 feet) deep. It likes to live on soft surfaces, like sand or mud, at the bottom of the ocean.
Life and Habits of the Roughback Batfish
What They Eat
Scientists don't know a lot about the roughback batfish's daily life. However, we do know that batfishes are predators. This means they hunt and eat other small creatures. They often eat small snails, clams, and other shellfish. They also enjoy crustaceans (like crabs and shrimp), worms, and sometimes even tiny fish.
Life Cycle
When batfishes lay their eggs, the eggs and the newly hatched larvae (baby fish) float in the open water. As they grow, they change shape in a process called metamorphosis. Once they are big enough, they settle down onto the ocean floor, where they live as adults.
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