Leptocottus armatus

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Leptocottus armatus
Image from page 383 of "Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission" (1906) (20488778482) .jpg

Leptocottus armatus

Systematics
Order : Perch-like (Perciformes)
Subordination : Cottoidei
Partial order : Bull relatives (Cottales)
Family : Bullheads (Cottidae)
Genre : Leptocottus
Type : Leptocottus armatus
Scientific name of the  genus
Leptocottus
Girard , 1854
Scientific name of the  species
Leptocottus armatus
Girard, 1854

Leptocottus armatus is a marine fish from the family of the bullheads (Cottidae) that occurs on the northeastern Pacific coast from the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in the southeast of the Bering Strait to Bahia San Quintin in northern Baja California .

features

The fish reach a maximum length of 46 cm, but usually stay at 35.5 cm. Leptocottus armatus is gray, olive or almost greenish on the back, sometimes also slightly yellowish. Below the sideline, the fish are orange-yellow to whitish or silvery in color. The spiny part of the dorsal fin is dark with a large black spot at the tips of the last three spines and a white stripe below. The soft ray section is also dark with some oblique white or yellow stripes. The pectoral fins are yellowish with 5 to 6 greenish stripes, the rounded caudal fin is dark with two light bands. The anal and pelvic fins are brightly colored. The species epithet armatus (= armed) refers to a characteristic feature of the species, a large spike on the upper gill cover that ends in three sharp, upwardly curved points. The gill rakes are reduced or flat bony plates bearing a bundle of small teeth. The sideline is almost straight. Under each pore of the lateral line organ there is a small plate of cartilage under the skin. The maximum age of the fish is 10 years.

  • Fin formula : Dorsal VI – VIII / 15–20; Anal 0 / 15-20.
  • Vertebra: 37-39.

Way of life

Leptocottus armatus lives near the coast, especially on sandy soils in bays and estuaries on the northeastern Pacific coast from the surface to depths of about 150 meters. The fish spawn in estuaries and juvenile fish migrate upstream immediately after metamorphosis into fresh water, where they remain for up to 6 weeks. Adult specimens live in the sea. Animals trapped in tide pools can leave the water, breathe air and crawl towards the sea. Leptocottus armatus feeds mainly on crabs, prawns and amphipods. In addition, fish and their larvae, poly-bristle , molluscs and other vertebrates are eaten. When stressed, the fish spread their gill covers and make a deep hum.

supporting documents

  1. ^ A b c d William N. Eschmeyer, Earl S. Herald, Howard Hamann: A field guide to Pacific Coast Fishes of North America. From the Gulf of Alaska to Baja California (Peterson Field Guides; 28). Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Mass. 1983, ISBN 0-395-33188-9 . Page 175.
  2. ↑ a b c d Leptocottus armatus on Fishbase.org (English)