Tub gurnard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tub gurnard |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Triglidae |
| Genus: | Chelidonichthys |
| Subgenus: | Chelidonichthys |
| Species: |
C. lucerna
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| Binomial name | |
| Chelidonichthys lucerna (Linnaeus, 1758)
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| Synonyms | |
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The tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna) is a cool type of fish found in the ocean. People also call it the sapphirine gurnard, tube-fish, tubfish, or yellow gurnard. It belongs to a group of fish called ray-finned fish in the family of gurnards and sea robins, known as Triglidae. You can find this fish in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Fishermen catch tub gurnards to sell them as food.
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About the Tub Gurnard's Name
The tub gurnard was first officially described in 1758 by a famous scientist named Carl Linnaeus. He named it Trigla lucerna. The name lucerna comes from Latin and means "lamp."
This name was first given to a different fish, the flying gurnard, because its red tongue was said to glow in the dark. Later, the name was used for the tub gurnard or a similar fish in places like Liguria and Venice during the Renaissance.
What Does a Tub Gurnard Look Like?
The tub gurnard has a big, bony, triangle-shaped head. This head has many ridges and small spines. Its eyes are quite small, and its large mouth is set low on its head. Both its jaws and a part of its mouth called the vomer are covered with many rows of teeth.
This fish has two dorsal fins on its back. The first one has 8 to 10 strong spines, and the second has 16 or 17 soft rays. Its anal fin on the belly has between 14 and 16 soft rays.
Special Fins and Scales
The tub gurnard's pectoral fins are very large, which is common for gurnards. The three innermost rays of these fins are separate from the main fin. They are thick and feel like fingers. The fish uses these special rays to move around on the seabed and to find its food.
The front part of the fish's belly does not have scales. The rest of its body has small scales that are well hidden. The scales along its lateral line are small and shaped like tubes. Its caudal fin (tail fin) is slightly notched.
Size and Color
Tub gurnards can grow up to about 75 centimeters (nearly 30 inches) long. This makes them the largest species in their family. However, most tub gurnards are usually around 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) long. The heaviest one ever recorded weighed 6 kilograms (about 13 pounds).
Their body color ranges from a deep reddish-brown to a pinkish-red. Their lower body is usually pink. The pectoral fins are blue with green spots in the middle and red edges.
Where Tub Gurnards Live
You can find the tub gurnard in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. They live along the coasts of Europe and Africa, from Norway all the way down to Ghana. They also live throughout the Mediterranean Sea and in the Black Sea. However, they are not found near Madeira or the Azores islands. They do live around the Canary Islands.
Their Home in the Ocean
These fish prefer to live on sandy, muddy-sandy, or gravelly seabeds. They are usually found at depths between 20 and 300 meters (about 65 to 985 feet).
During the summer, tub gurnards might swim closer to the surface, sometimes in water as shallow as 10 meters (about 33 feet). Young tub gurnards can even be found in slightly salty water in lagoons, estuaries, and the lower parts of rivers.
Tub Gurnard Biology
What Tub Gurnards Eat
The tub gurnard is a predator that eats whatever food it can find on the seabed. They mostly eat crustaceans and smaller fish. Crustaceans are things like crabs and shrimp. In one study, their diet mostly included crabs and different types of shrimp. They also ate fish like European anchovy and black goby.
Crustaceans were a bigger part of their diet in the summer, while fish became more important in winter. They also eat molluscs and worms. Tub gurnards use the special finger-like rays on their pectoral fins to find prey hiding in the sand or mud.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Tub gurnards lay their eggs, a process called spawning, at different times depending on where they live. In the northern parts of their range, they spawn between May and July. Off the coast of Egypt, they spawn from November to February.
The male and female tub gurnards form a pair to lay their eggs. The eggs float freely in the water. When they hatch, the young fish, called larvae, have all their pectoral fin rays connected within the fin membrane. Tub gurnards start to become ready to reproduce when they are about 13 centimeters (about 5 inches) long. All fish longer than 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) are fully mature.
How Tub Gurnards Communicate
Tub gurnards make grunting or growling sounds. They do this using special muscles connected to their swim bladder. Scientists believe these sounds help the fish stay together in their schools (groups).
Tub Gurnard Fisheries
Fishermen catch tub gurnards for food, but the total amount caught is not very high. Between 2011 and 2015, the average global catch was about 4,429 tons per year. Most of this catch comes from the North Sea and the eastern English Channel.
However, the fish caught are often just labeled as "gurnard" and are not sorted by specific type when they are brought to shore. The tub gurnard, along with the red gurnard and the grey gurnard, are seen as fish that could become more important for commercial fishing. Because of this, organizations like the ICES have suggested that catches should be watched closely. They also want more information about the fish populations to help manage them better.
Images for kids
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On a fish market
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Swimming
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Frying fillets with butter and sage
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 | Roy Wilkins |
 | John Lewis |
 | Linda Carol Brown |
