Flatheads Gurnards Scorpionfishes and Relatives: Scorpaeniformes - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Oriental Helmet Gurnard (dactyloptena Orientalis): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, FLATHEADS G
sculpins greenlings live water
Gurnards, flatheads, scorpionfishes, greenlings, and sculpins live in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans.
Most gurnards, flatheads, scorpionfishes, greenlings, and sculpins live near the shore, but some live in deep water. Some of these fishes live in mud or sandy bottoms. Others live in rocky habitats and coral reefs.
Gurnards, flatheads, scorpionfishes, greenlings, and sculpins eat crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimp, and smaller fishes. Crustaceans (krus-TAY-shuns) are water-dwelling animals that have jointed legs and a hard shell but no backbone. Some sculpins eat seaweed.
Flatheads, greenlings, and sculpins are eaten. Lionfishes, scorpionfishes, and sculpins are popular in aquariums.
Additional Topics
Gurnards and flatheads lie and wait to ambush their prey, or animals hunted and killed for food. Little is known about the reproduction of flatheads and gurnards. They produce free-floating eggs. Some flatheads begin life as males and become females as they grow older. Scorpionfishes can disguise themselves as leaves or rocks. Some scorpionfishes bury themselves in the sand. Most scorpionfishes li…
Physical characteristics: Oriental helmet gurnards have a long thin body and grow to about 16 inches (40 centimeters) in length. The head is heavily armored. The body is gray to light brown, and there are dark brown and black spots on the back and sides. A long spine just behind the head is followed by a much smaller spine and then two dorsal (DOOR-suhl) fins, which are the fins along the midline …
Physical characteristics: Red lionfish have dark red bands on the head and body and have pectoral fins that look like long feathers. The dorsal and anal fins are covered with dark rows of spots on a clear to yellowish background. The anal (AY-nuhl) fin is the fin along the midline of the belly. The fin spines are venomous. Red lionfish reach a length of about 14 inches (35 centimeters). Geographic…
Physical characteristics: Lingcod are large, up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and weighing 100 pounds (45 kilograms). The mouth has large teeth. The dorsal fin runs the entire length of the body and looks like two fins. Most lingcod are brown; some are blue-green. They all have staggered black blotches along the sides of the body and the back. Males become all black in the winter just before mating.…
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