Skip to main content

Giant Kelpfish

Heterostichus rostratus
Giant Kelpfish can be found hiding about the kelp and grasses in the Pacific waters off the coast of North America. When I saw the name "Giant," I assumed they would be rather large, but their length only extends about 2ft. Yet they still are giants when compared to other types of Kelpfish. The Scarlet Kelpfish, for example, reaches only about 4in.

Giant Kelpfish have very slender, blade-like bodies. This shape helps them to live among the sea grasses and remain camouflaged. They can come in a variety of reds, greens, and browns; this allows them to live in different types of grasses. They can even change their color, and females are better at performing this trick than the males.

The kelp forest habitat helps to hide the Giant Kelpfish from predators, but it also helps them to feed and breed. Hundreds if not thousands of species live in these forests, giving the Giant Kelpfish a smorgasbord of food choices. They eat fish, crustaceans, and molluscs.
IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Pacific Ocean off North America
Size : Length up to 2ft (60cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Clinidae -- Genus : Heterostichus -- Species : H. rostratus
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 2, 2013 at 4:59 PM

    I have a report on the Giant kelpfish and this did not help me at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LaurenMay 2, 2013 at 5:22 PM

      Sorry to hear that :( Because there is only one writer, and because I write every day, I try and fit as much into these short posts as I can. You can often find more information by visiting the links within each article!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a
59 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent
Post a Comment
Read more