- Prowfish
Taxobox
name = Prowfish
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Actinopterygii
ordo =Perciformes
familia = Zaproridae
genus = "Zaprora"
species = "Z. silenus"
binomial = "Zaprora silenus"
binomial_authority = Jordan, 1896Prowfish ("Zaprora silenus") are subtropical
perciform marinefish found in the North Pacific. They are the only member of their family, Zaproridae. They should not be confused with theAustralian prowfish of the unrelated familyPataecidae .Prowfish range from the
Aleutian Islands ,Alaska west to Kamchatka,Russia ; fromNavarin Canyon in theBering Sea south toHokkaidō ,Japan and Monterey,California . An otherwise little-known species, prowfish are important to subsistence fisheries in remote regions.Growing to a length of 100 centimetres or more, prowfish have stout, laterally compressed and elongate bodies. They have a single, somewhat high dorsal fin running nearly the entire length of the back; it may contain 54-58 pliable spines. The anal fin is also fairly extensive. The tail fin is large, rounded and truncate; the pectoral fins are enlarged and pelvic fins are conspicuously absent. The mouth is slightly upturned with small, closely set sharp teeth confined to the jaws. The head is convex, ending in a projecting snout. This explains the family name "Zaproridae"; from the Greek "za", an intensifier, and "prora" meaning "prow." The species name "silneus" is a reference to
Silenus , a figure inGreek mythology .The distinctive head of the prowfish also features a number of sensory
pore s made all the more obvious by fringes of blue or white. Prowfish have smallctenoid scales and a variable coloration; typically they are bluish grey to olive brown with small dark spots, grading to lighter shades ventrally. Thelateral line andswim bladder are absent.Thought to prefer rocky substrates in relatively shallow waters of no more than 675 metres, prowfish are
benthic animals spending most of their time on or near the bottom. Their diet consists principally ofscyphozoa ns andsalp s; prowfish use their large mouths to tear chunks from the bells ofjellyfish andctenophore s. Prowfish may also eat smaller fish andamphipod s; however, juveniles feed exclusively onjellyfish . Largerskate s andhalibut are known predators of prowfish.Little is known of prowfish reproduction, but juveniles have been observed to be pelagic; unlike adults, they spend their time in the mid levels of the water column, closely associated with their jellyfish prey. Indeed, juvenile prowfish will seek shelter from prey within the bells of larger jellies. This behaviour has led to their confusion with the
medusafish ("Icichthys lockingtoni") of the familyCentrolophidae . Most female prowfish are thought to reach maturity at c. five years. There is littlesexual dimorphism ; females are slightly heavier for their length.References
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*ee also
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List of fish common names
*List of fish families
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