Atlantic spade fish
| Atlantic spade fish | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic spade fish ( Chaetodipterus faber ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chaetodipterus faber | ||||||||||||
| Broussonet , 1782 |
The Atlantic spade fish ( Chaetodipterus faber ) lives in the western, tropical Atlantic from the coast of New England , the Bahamas , the Caribbean , the Gulf of Mexico to the southern coast of Brazil.
features
The high-backed, disc-shaped fish reach a maximum length of 90 centimeters and a weight of 9 kg. Their muzzle is blunt, the mouth small and terminal. The upper jaw of adult specimens ends below the nostrils. The palate is toothless. The sides are patterned by wide, blackish, vertical stripes that fade with age. The scales are ctenoid . The head and fins are also scaled.
- Fin formula : Dorsal IX / 21–24, Anale III / 17–18.
Way of life
Atlantic spade fish live in schools of up to 500 individuals, near the coast, in shallow waters and in open water over coral reefs . The species can often be found near oil rigs, shipwrecks or jetties.
They mainly eat hard-shelled invertebrates such as crustaceans , mussels and snails , but also annelids , jellyfish , salps and algae. Nothing is known about reproduction. They are likely to spawn in schools.
literature
- Hans A. Baensch / Robert A. Patzner: Mergus Sea Water Atlas Volume 7 Perciformes (perch-like). Mergus-Verlag, Melle, ISBN 3-88244-107-0
Web links
- Atlantic spade fish on Fishbase.org (English)