Two-banded seabream facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Two-banded seabream |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Sparidae |
| Genus: | Diplodus |
| Species: |
D. prayensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Diplodus prayensis Cadenat, 1964
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The two-banded seabream, also known as Diplodus prayensis, is a cool type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's part of a fish family called Sparidae, which includes other seabreams. This special fish is only found around the Cape Verde Islands.
Contents
What is the Two-Banded Seabream?
How Was This Fish Discovered?
A French scientist named Jean Cadenat first officially described this fish in 1964. He found it near the port of Praia on Santiago island in Cape Verde. This is why the fish's scientific name includes "prayensis."
This fish is a close relative of the common two-banded seabream, D. vulgaris. Both belong to the Diplodus group, which is part of the Sparidae family.
What Does "Prayensis" Mean?
The second part of the fish's scientific name, prayensis, comes from the place where it was first found. "Praia" is the capital city of Cape Verde. The "ensis" part means "from" or "of" that place. So, prayensis means "from Praia."
What Does the Two-Banded Seabream Look Like?
This fish has an oval-shaped body that looks a bit flattened from the sides. Its mouth can stick out a little, and it has slightly thick lips.
Its Teeth and Fins
The two-banded seabream has 8 brown, flat, incisor-like teeth in the front of both its upper and lower jaws. Behind these, it has 3 or 4 rows of smaller, molar-like teeth. On the sides of its jaws, it has 4 larger molar-like teeth.
Its top fin, called the dorsal fin, has 12 strong spines and 13 to 15 soft rays. The fin underneath, the anal fin, has 3 spines and 12 or 13 soft rays. Its tail fin is shaped like a fork.
Colors and Markings
The fish's body is usually brownish to greenish. It has cool horizontal lines that are gold and grey, running along its scales. Its head is dark, but it has a lighter oval patch on the back of its neck.
You might also see a black line along the edge of its gill cover. There's a black spot near its front side fin. A dark bar is on its tail base, which gets bigger in older fish. This bar can even reach the base of its back fins.
How Big Does It Get?
The two-banded seabream can grow up to about 35 centimeters (about 14 inches) long. However, most of them are usually around 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long.
Where Does the Two-Banded Seabream Live?
This fish lives in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. As mentioned, it's special because it's only found around the Cape Verde Islands. It takes the place of its close relative, D. vulgaris, in these waters.
It likes to live in places with rocky bottoms, sometimes as deep as 100 meters (about 330 feet). It can also be found in deeper areas where the bottom is muddy.
What Does the Two-Banded Seabream Eat?
The two-banded seabream enjoys eating small creatures without backbones, like crabs or worms. It also eats seaweed.
How Are These Fish Caught?
People in Cape Verde catch the two-banded seabream using traditional fishing methods, like lines. The fish they catch are then sold fresh to eat.
