Wilhelm's hawkfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wilhelm's hawkfish |
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The Wilhelm's hawkfish (Itycirrhitus wilhelmi) is a cool type of ray-finned fish that lives in the ocean. It's a kind of hawkfish, which belongs to a fish family called Cirrhitidae. You can find these fish in warm, tropical waters. They usually hang out near rocky areas, living anywhere from 1 to 55 meters (about 3 to 180 feet) deep.
This special fish is only found around two islands in the Pacific Ocean: Pitcairn Island and Easter Island. Wilhelm's hawkfish can grow up to 12 centimeters (about 4.7 inches) long. It's also the only known fish in its entire genus, which makes it quite unique!
Contents
Discovering Wilhelm's Hawkfish
How It Got Its Name
Scientists first officially described Wilhelm's hawkfish in 1972. They named it Cirrhitus wilhelmi back then. The first fish they studied came from Easter Island in the southern Pacific Ocean.
Later, in 2001, a scientist named John Ernest Randall decided this fish was so special it needed its own new group, or genus. He named this new genus Itycirrhitus. The name Itycirrhitus comes from two parts:
- Itys is a Greek word meaning "rim." This refers to the fish's bright red scale edges, which look like a rim.
- Cirrhitus is the name of a related group of fish.
The specific name, wilhelmi, honors a person named Ottmar Wilhelm. He was a director at the Institute of Biology at the University of Concepción. He loved marine science and helped collect the very first fish specimen in 1956.
What Wilhelm's Hawkfish Looks Like
Body Shape and Size
Wilhelm's hawkfish has a body that's not too long and is quite deep. Its snout (nose area) isn't super long either. The biggest size recorded for this fish is about 12 centimeters (4.7 inches).
Teeth and Fins
This fish has two types of teeth:
- An outer row of canine teeth, which are bigger.
- An inner row of much smaller teeth.
The canine teeth are especially big at the front of its upper jaw and on the sides of its lower jaw.
It has some cool features around its nose, like two rows of small, whisker-like parts called cirri. It also has a small flap on the back edge of its front nostril.
Let's talk about its fins:
- Its tail fin (called the caudal fin) is either flat or slightly rounded.
- The fin on its back (the dorsal fin) has 10 strong spines and usually 12 to 14 soft rays. The fourth spine is the longest.
- The fin on its belly (the anal fin) has 3 spines and 6 soft rays.
- The fins on its sides (the pectoral fin) have six lower rays that are thick and not branched.
Color and Markings
When preserved in alcohol, the fish looks bluish-green. It has five brownish stripes that go up and down its body. These stripes become less clear as they cross a line on its side called the lateral line. Its snout and the area between its eyes are plain brown. There's also a dark spot on the gill cover right behind its eye.
Where Wilhelm's Hawkfish Lives
Ocean Home
Wilhelm's hawkfish has only been found and collected from the waters around Easter Island and Pitcairn Island. These fish live in the ocean at depths ranging from 1 to 55 meters (about 3 to 180 feet). They prefer to live among rocky areas on the ocean floor.
