Acadian redfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acadian redfish |
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The Acadian redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) is a type of fish that lives in the deep parts of the Atlantic Ocean. People also call it the Atlantic redfish or Acadian rockfish. It's a species of ray-finned fish, which means it has fins supported by bony rays. This fish belongs to a group called rockfishes.
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About the Acadian Redfish
Who Discovered the Acadian Redfish?
The Acadian redfish was first officially described in 1854. An American doctor and zoologist named David Humphreys Storer gave it its scientific name. He found the first known specimen in the harbor at Provincetown, Massachusetts.
The scientific name fasciatus means "banded." This refers to the four clear bands you can see on the fish's sides. Sometimes, the Acadian redfish can even breed with another fish called the beaked redfish.
What Does the Acadian Redfish Look Like?
The Acadian redfish has a reddish-orange color. It can grow up to 20 inches (about 50 cm) long. These fish can live for a very long time, sometimes over 50 years!
It looks a lot like another fish, the deepwater redfish (S. mentella). Scientists can tell them apart in a few ways. They might count the soft rays in their anal fins. They can also check their gas bladders or use genetic testing.
Where Do Acadian Redfish Live?
Acadian redfish live in the cold waters of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. You can find them from Virginia all the way up to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia, western Greenland, and even Iceland.
They prefer deep water, usually between 70 and 500 meters (about 230 to 1,640 feet) deep. These fish like to swim near the seabed. They often live in areas with clay, silt, or rocky bottoms.
What Do Acadian Redfish Eat?
The Acadian redfish eats many different things. Their diet includes various crustaceans, like crabs and shrimp. They also eat mollusks, such as squid or clams. Sometimes, they will eat smaller fish too.
How Do Acadian Redfish Reproduce?
Acadian redfish reproduce during the fall and late winter. The females are ovoviviparous. This means the eggs hatch inside the mother's body. Then, she releases fully formed young fish into the water. A female can release between 15,000 and 20,000 larvae each season.
What Eats the Acadian Redfish?
Several larger animals prey on the Acadian redfish. These predators include the halibut and the Atlantic cod. Swordfishes also hunt them. Even harbor seals will eat Acadian redfish.
Conservation Efforts
The Acadian redfish grows very slowly. It also doesn't produce many offspring compared to some other fish. Because of this, and because it's easy to catch, its population faced problems. People also thought it was a great fish to eat.
In 1996, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) listed the Acadian redfish as an Endangered species. This meant its numbers were very low.
However, thanks to conservation efforts, the redfish population has made a great comeback! By 2012, scientists said the species had fully recovered. It is now managed carefully and harvested responsibly under U.S. fishing rules.
