Chaetodipterus zonatus

Pacific spade fish ( Chaetodipterus zonatus )

The Pacific spade fish ( Chaetodipterus zonatus ) is in the eastern Pacific from the coast of southern California to Peru in shallow water to depths of 45 meters in front.

Features

The high-backed, discus-shaped and laterally strongly flattened fish are more than 65 inches long, the average length of adult animals, however, lies at 25 cm. Her head is short and has a slightly concave profile. The mouth is small, terminal and does not extend beyond the front edge of the eye. They are of silvery color, the sides are patterned by broad, vertical stripes, which are blackish in young fish with lengths of less than 8 cm and fade with increasing size. The Branchiostegalmembranen have grown together at the isthmus below the gill region. The spines of the dorsal fin are well developed.

Way of life

Pacific spade fish live in small groups near the coast, in shallow waters and in the open water on sandy soils and coral reefs. Often the type to hold on even with drilling rigs, wrecks or piers. It feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates.