Animalia Life

Porichthys plectrodon
FAMILY
Batrachoididae
TAXONOMY
Porichthys plectrodon Jordan and Gilbert, 1882, Galveston, Texas, United States.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The maximum size is 8.6 in (218 mm) standard length. There are two spines in the first dorsal fin, and the second dorsal and anal fins are long. There are rows of photophores on the head and body, and those on the underside of the head are Ushaped.
DISTRIBUTION
Cape Henry, Virginia south to northern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
HABITAT
Prefers mud bottoms where it buries itself during the day
BEHAVIOR
It produces both aggressive and mating vocalizations. Photophores may be used as a countershading mechanism to avoid predators while foraging in the water column at night.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
. Although some benthic invertebrates and fishes have been found in their stomachs, most of the food consists of planktonic crustaceans and larval fishes taken at night while foraging in the water column.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
It moves from deeper water into shallow bays and spawns in the spring and summer. The reproductive
BEHAVIOR
is typical of the
FAMILY
.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Used as an experimental animal.

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