Streaky rockskipper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Streaky rockskipper |
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The streaky rockskipper (scientific name: Istiblennius dussumieri) is a cool little fish. It's a type of combtooth blenny, which means it has teeth like a comb! You can find these fish living in coral reefs and rocky areas. They swim in the western parts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. People also call them the Dussumier's rockskipper or just Dussumier's blenny.
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What Does It Look Like?
The streaky rockskipper is usually a dark, dusty color. It has about six to seven wavy, dark double stripes along its sides. You might also see a dark spot on the front part of its back fin (called the dorsal fin). There are more dark spots on its back fin and its tail fin (the caudal fin).
Boy and girl streaky rockskippers look a bit different. Girl fish have dark spots spread out on their bodies. These spots match the stripes you see on the boy fish. Boy fish also have wide, dark edges on their back, tail, and bottom fins (the anal fins). This fish can grow up to about 12 centimeters (about 4.7 inches) long.
Where Does It Live?
The streaky rockskipper lives in a wide area across the Indo-West Pacific region. You can find it starting from the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. From there, it spreads east through the Indian Ocean and into the western Pacific Ocean. Its range goes as far as Palau in the Pacific.
In the south, it reaches places like Lord Howe Island. To the north, it can be found up to Taiwan. In 2006, scientists even found it in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
Habitat and Life Cycle
Streaky rockskippers like to live along shallow, rocky coasts. They often hang out in the intertidal zone, which is the area between high and low tide. Here, the water can be less than 1 meter (about 3 feet) deep. They prefer calm shorelines, and you might often see them with another type of blenny called Istiblennius edentulus. They can also live in mangrove areas, which are coastal forests with trees that grow in salty water.
These fish reproduce by laying eggs. They form pairs, and the eggs stick to rocks or other surfaces. After the eggs hatch, tiny baby fish called larvae float around in the shallow, coastal waters.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The scientific name dussumieri was given to honor the person who first collected this type of fish. That person was Jean-Jacques Dussumier. He was a French traveler and merchant who lived from 1792 to 1883.
