Pacific sandfish

📖 Overview

Adults are found in deeper waters whereas larvae and juveniles occupy shallow, nearshore habitats . Usually buried in muddy or sandy bottoms with mouth protruding . Eggs are laid in a gelatinous mass that is attached to rocks . Some have been caught by hand in shallow water .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 9 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18 - 20; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 28 - 29. Caudal moderately forked . Light brown on dorsal surface, silvery ventrally, dark along midside, mid-dorsal line in irregular patches, and lateral line; spinous dorsal with dark streaks paralleling free edge; upper parts of pectorals and caudal with darkened edges, and vague dark blotches on rayed dorsal; anal, pelvic fins, and lower parts of pectorals light .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Pacific sandfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Pacific sandfish are mostly shrimp eaters, feeding by waiting for small fish, shrimp or krill to come into range and then sucking the prey up with its unusually large upturned mouth. The sandfish's teeth are needle-sharp for grasping prey. Most shrimp eaten are between 1 and 3 inches long. The sandfish waits for prey by burying itself in sand or mud and using is upturned eyes to watch passing prey. Sandfish themselves are preyed upon by Pacific cod and Pacific halibut. Seabirds such as pigeon guillemots, gulls, and puffins will also prey on sandfishes.

🥚 Reproduction

Incubation of eggs takes one year .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range 0 - 375 m . Boreal; 66°N - 38°N Northwest Pacific: Kamchatka (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 11 records indexed .

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