Biology:Brazilian batfish
| Brazilian batfish | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Scientific classification | |
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| Order: | Lophiiformes
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| Species: | O. vespertilio
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| Binomial name | |
| Ogcocephalus vespertilio | |
The Brazilian batfish or Seadevil, Ogcocephalus vespertilio, is a species of batfish. Its distribution includes the western Atlantic, from the Antilles to Brazil .[1] This species grows to a length of 30.5 centimetres (12.0 in) TL.
It lives on the ocean-floor, covered in sand. The fish are flat, resembling pancakes. It preys on bottom-dwelling invertebrates.
While active, it searches for prey walking along the bottom with the help of its specialized paired fins, with the illicium protracted and oscillating or exploring the substrate. The prey are either snapped up from the bottom, after visual detection, or dug out with use of the mouth and rostrum. It feeds on crustaceans (hermit crabs, true crabs, shrimps, amphipods, porcelain crabs, isopods and mysid shrimps), molluscs (snails, sea slugs and clams), polychaete worms (mostly Errantia) and echinoderms (sea urchins and brittle stars). [2]
This species can be found in the aquarium trade.
References
- "Ogcocephalus vespertilio". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=164575. Retrieved 14 February 2007.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2006). "Ogcocephalus vespertilio" in FishBase. February 2006 version.
- ↑ Gibran, FZ; Castro, RMC (September 1999). "Activity, Feeding Behaviour and Diet of Ogcocephalus Vespertilio in Southern West Atlantic". Journal of Fish Biology 55 (3): 588-595. doi:10.1006/jfbi.1999.1019. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00701.x.
Wikidata ☰ Q511358 entry
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