Beaked redfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaked redfish |
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The beaked redfish (Sebastes mentella) is a type of fish that lives in the deep parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. It's also known by many other names like ocean perch or Atlantic redfish. This fish is part of a group called rockfishes. It's a marine (ocean-dwelling) fish with fins supported by bony rays.
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What is the Beaked Redfish?
Naming the Beaked Redfish
The beaked redfish was officially described in 1951. A Soviet biologist named Valentin Ivanovich Travin gave it its scientific name. He found the first known examples near the Bear Island Banks in the Barents Sea. The name mentella comes from a word meaning "chin." This refers to the noticeable knob on its lower jaw.
How to Identify a Beaked Redfish
The beaked redfish has a long, somewhat flat body. Its head is deep, and it has a wide mouth. It has several small spines on its head, including above its eyes. A clear, sharp knob sticks out from its lower jaw.
Its dorsal fin (on its back) has 14 to 16 sharp spines. It also has 13 to 17 soft rays. The anal fin (on its belly) has 3 spines and 7 to 11 soft rays. This fish can grow up to about 77.5 centimeters (about 30 inches) long.
Where Do Beaked Redfish Live?
Ocean Home and Depth
Beaked redfish are found across the northern Atlantic Ocean. They live from Baffin Island in Canada down to Nova Scotia. You can also find them around Greenland and Iceland. They live along the Iceland-Faroes ridge and north of Norway. Their range extends to places like Svalbard, Jan Mayen, and the Barents Sea.
This species lives in the deep ocean, far from the coast. They are found at depths between 300 and 1,441 meters (about 980 to 4,700 feet).
Life of a Beaked Redfish
Reproduction and Young
Beaked redfish are ovoviviparous. This means the females keep the eggs inside their bodies until they hatch. The males fertilize the eggs inside the female. This happens around August to December, depending on the location. The tiny larvae (baby fish) are then released from April to June.
Social Life and Diet
These fish like to live in groups throughout their lives. They are very social. Beaked redfish eat small ocean creatures. Their diet includes krill, small shrimp-like animals, and tiny fish. They also eat cephalopods (like squid) and chaetognaths (arrow worms).
Lifespan of the Fish
Beaked redfish can live for a very long time. Some have been known to live up to 75 years. In other areas, a lifespan of 65 years is more common.
Beaked Redfish and Fishing
Commercial Fishing
Beaked redfish are caught by fishermen using large nets called trawls. There is a big fishing industry that targets this species. However, the fishing of beaked redfish is carefully watched. This helps to make sure that too many fish are not caught. In 2006, about 61,500 tons of these fish were caught.
Sustainable Choices
In 2010, Greenpeace International added the deepwater redfish to its "seafood red list." This list includes fish that are often sold but might come from fishing practices that are not good for the ocean. Choosing fish not on this list helps protect ocean life.
