Spinycheek scorpionfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spinycheek scorpionfish |
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The spinycheek scorpionfish (Neomerinthe hemingwayi) is a fascinating fish. It's also known as Hemingway's scorpionfish. This fish is a type of ray-finned fish. It belongs to the family called Scorpaenidae, which are known as scorpionfishes. You can find this unique fish in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean.
How it Got Its Name
This spinycheek scorpionfish was first officially described in 1935. An American fish expert named Henry Weed Fowler gave it its scientific name. He found the first one about 70 miles southeast of Cape May, New Jersey, USA.
Fowler also created a new group, or genus, for this fish. He named it Neomerinthe. The fish's specific name, hemingwayi, honors a famous American writer, Ernest Hemingway.
Henry Weed Fowler and Ernest Hemingway became friends. Fowler had stayed with Hemingway in Cuba in 1934. He was there to study other types of fish. Fowler named the fish to thank Hemingway for his help. Hemingway helped Fowler with his work on fish from the Gulf Stream.
What it Looks Like
The spinycheek scorpionfish has a long and strong body. It has two spines under its nose bone. These spines point downwards in front of its eye. There's also another spine on the side of its nose bone.
A bony ridge under its eye has three more spines. This ridge goes all the way behind its eye. The fish also has teeth on the sides of the roof of its mouth.
Its pectoral fins look like wedges. They usually have 17 rays, which are like the spokes of a fan. The longest rays are in the middle. In adult fish, some of these rays split at their ends.
The dorsal fin, which is on its back, has 12 strong spines. It also has about 10.5 soft rays. The very last ray is split into two parts. The scales on its body feel rough. A special line, called the lateral line, runs along its side to its tail fin.
This fish is reddish-brown overall. Its back and sides have dark spots and blotches. You can see three dark spots grouped together on its lateral line. These spots are below the soft part of its dorsal fin. The dorsal fin itself has many spots. Its tail fin is also very spotty. The spots on its pectoral fins are not in a regular pattern. The spinycheek scorpionfish can grow up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long.
Where it Lives
The spinycheek scorpionfish lives in the western Atlantic Ocean. You can find it along the eastern coast of the United States. This includes areas from New Jersey down to southern Florida. It also lives in the Gulf of Mexico. Here, it's found from Texas to Campeche, Mexico.
This fish lives near the bottom of the ocean. It prefers depths between 45 and 230 meters (about 148 to 755 feet).
Life and Habits
The spinycheek scorpionfish is a carnivore. This means it eats other animals. It hunts for small creatures that live on the ocean floor. It also eats smaller fish.
When it reproduces, the spinycheek scorpionfish lays eggs. These eggs float in the open water. The baby fish, called larvae, hatch from these floating eggs.
Each fin spine on this fish has thick, special tissue at its back. Scientists believe this tissue contains venom glands. These glands are thought to produce venom.
