Skip to main content

Quillback Rockfish

Sebastes maliger
There are over 120 different species within the Sebastidae family, including the Quillback Rockfish. These spiny saltwater fish live along the Pacific coast of North America, hanging out near rocks and reefs where they are best camouflaged. They are rarely found in open water. These fish feed during the day, living on a diet of Crustaceans and small fish.

Quillback Rockfish are solitary, though they are not territorial. Individuals can be found near each other, coexisting in the same reef area without incident. They do come together during spawning, which takes place from March to July. Interestingly, they are an ovoviviparous species. It can take several years for the Quillback Rockfish to mature, and they can live longer than 30 years.

This particular fish gets its name from the long, venomous quills that grow from its back. These quills keep the Rockfish safe from predators. The toxin isn't deadly the humans, but can still cause pain.

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Pacific Ocean
Size : Length up to 24in (61cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Scorpaeniformes
Family : Sebastidae -- Genus : Sebastes -- Species : S. maliger
Image Attribution : NOAA

Comments

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

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!

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