Slender platanna-klipfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slender platanna-klipfish |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Blenniiformes |
| Family: | Clinidae |
| Genus: | Cancelloxus |
| Species: |
C. burrelli
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| Binomial name | |
| Cancelloxus burrelli J. L. B. Smith, 1961
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The Slender platanna-klipfish (Cancelloxus burrelli) is a unique type of fish. It belongs to a family of fish called clinids. You can find this fish in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It lives along the coast of South Africa, from the Orange River all the way to Algoa Bay.
This fish likes to live in shallow waters. It can be found from the area where the ocean meets the land (called the intertidal zone) down to about 20 meters (about 65 feet) deep. The Slender platanna-klipfish is not very big. It can grow up to 12 centimeters (about 4.7 inches) long.
Contents
What Does the Slender Platanna-Klipfish Look Like?
Body Shape and Size
This fish is small and slender. It has a long, flat body. Its head is a bit squashed and has a pointy nose. The tip of its lower jaw sticks out a little past its upper jaw.
The Slender platanna-klipfish does not have any special flaps or growths near its eyes. Its front nostrils look like tiny tubes. Its top fin, called the dorsal fin, is low and stays the same height all along its back.
This fish can grow up to 12 centimeters (about 4.7 inches) long.
Colors and Patterns
The main color of the Slender platanna-klipfish is a creamy white. You can see through its body a little bit, especially when it's young.
It has a broken, shiny silver-white stripe along its side. Above this stripe, there are about 11 or 12 uneven, coppery-olive to dark brown patches. These patches look like saddles on its back. It also has an olive-colored stripe that runs from its eye to the back edge of its gill cover.
Sometimes, you might see smaller white and dark spots along its sides. Its lips and belly are creamy white. The base of its pectoral fins (the fins on its sides) is silver. Its other fins look clear like glass. The darker saddle patches on its back extend up onto its dorsal fin.
There's a cool Y-shaped pattern of lines that goes through its eye. One line comes from its mouth, and a narrow line goes straight across its head, connecting its eyes. Its pupils are very black, and the colored part of its eye (the iris) is narrow and golden. The rest of its eye is whitish, with darker areas where the lines cross it.
Where Does the Slender Platanna-Klipfish Live?
This fish lives along the West Coast of South Africa. You can find it from the mouth of the Orange River in the north, all the way south to the Cape Peninsula, and then around to Algoa Bay on the south coast.
Around the Cape Peninsula, it is most often seen at a place called Ouderkaal. But it also lives in other spots like Bantry Bay, especially where there is the right kind of sand.
What is the Slender Platanna-Klipfish's Home Like?
Habitat and Environment
The Slender platanna-klipfish loves to live in sandy places. It prefers coarse, large-grained sand that forms wave-shaped ridges. It lives in the very shallow parts of the ocean, from the lowest tide line down to at least 20 meters deep.
Younger fish can sometimes be found in finer sand. They might even be mistaken for another type of fish called Cancelloxus longior, which lives in similar sandy areas.
Behavior and Hiding Habits
This fish has a very interesting way of hiding! It often lies just below the surface of the sand. Sometimes, you can even see its head sticking out.
If something disturbs it, the fish will quickly dart over a few sand ridges, or along one. Then, it will swim straight into a sand ridge. Sometimes, it might pop out on the other side of the ridge. Other times, it might disappear completely from view. This fish can dig itself quite deeply into the sand to hide!
Why is it Called Burrelli?
The name "Burrelli" was given to this fish to honor Cyril J. Burrell. He was a person who often helped the scientist, J. L. B. Smith, with his research.
