Jack-knifefish

Jack-knifefish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Sciaenidae
Genus: Equetus
Species: E. lanceolatus
Binomial name
Equetus lanceolatus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Jack-knifefish range.[1]

The jackknifefish (Equetus lanceolatus) is a small fish, typically between 6 and 9 inches, that can occasionally be found on coral reefs in the middle western Atlantic Ocean, in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and the Bahamas.

Habitat

When jackknifefish are young and small, they generally lives in rocks and coral hidden from predators. Generally they inhabit reef areas.

juvenile Jack-knifefish, Equetus lanceolatus
Jack-knifefish, Equetus lanceolatus

Diet

Jackknifefish are carnivorous fish that feed on crabs, shrimp and other small invertebrates.

Behavior

This species of fish can live with other types of small fish, as it is not aggressive. Like other fishes of its family, it can produce "croaking" or "drumming" sounds.

Coloration

Jackknifefish are typically black and white or dark brown and white.

References

  1. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2015. Equetus lanceolatus. In: IUCN 2015. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. http://www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 July 2015.
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