Thinlip splitfin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thinlip splitfin |
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Synagrops microlepis Norman, 1935 |
The thinlip splitfin (Kaperangus microlepis) is a type of fish that belongs to the Acropomatidae family. These fish are also known as "lanternbellies." The thinlip splitfin lives in the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of Africa. It can be found deep underwater, usually between 50 and 500 meters (about 164 to 1,640 feet) below the surface. This fish can grow to be about 16.5 centimeters (about 6.5 inches) long.
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Where Does the Thinlip Splitfin Live?
The thinlip splitfin makes its home in the Eastern Atlantic. You can find it from the waters off Mauritania all the way down to Namibia. It also lives around the Cape Verde Islands.
What Does This Fish Look Like?
The thinlip splitfin has a dark brownish color on its back. Its belly is much lighter. This fish has 10 spines on its top fin (dorsal fin) and 9 soft rays. It also has 2 spines on its bottom fin (anal fin) and 9 soft rays. The thinlip splitfin can grow up to 18 centimeters (about 7 inches) long. It becomes old enough to have babies when it reaches about 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) in length.
Habitat and What It Eats
The thinlip splitfin is a type of fish that lives in the deep ocean, near the bottom. It prefers muddy areas at depths from 70 to 1,000 meters (about 230 to 3,280 feet).
This fish is a hunter! It eats smaller creatures like crustaceans. These include tiny shrimp-like animals called euphausiids and mysids. It also eats larger decapods, which are a group of crustaceans that include crabs and shrimp. Sometimes, the thinlip splitfin will also eat other fish and cephalopods, like squid or octopus.
Fish from the Acropomatidae family, including the thinlip splitfin, often swim together in loose groups. They usually stay close to the ocean floor. Some of these fish even swim up towards the surface at night. Scientists found many thinlip splitfins during a survey off the coast of Angola. This fish is also an important food source for a type of hake fish called Merluccius senegalensis near Dakar.
How This Fish Got Its Name
The thinlip splitfin was first officially described in 1935. A British fish expert named John Roxborough Norman gave it the name Synagrops microlepis. He found the first known specimen off the coast of Angola. Later, in 2017, scientists decided to place this fish in its own special group, or genus, called Kaperangus. This means it's the only species in that particular group.
