sargassum fish
Quick Summary
The sargassum fish (Histrio histrio) is a small, distinctively colored fish that lives among floating masses of sargassum seaweed in the open ocean. These fish are masters of camouflage, with coloration and patterns that allow them to blend seamlessly with their algal habitat.12
Sargassum seaweed itself is a genus of brown algae, with some species existing as free-floating mats that create unique open-ocean ecosystems. These mats provide essential food and shelter for a variety of marine life, including the sargassum fish.2
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frogfishThe sargassum fish (Histrio histrio) is patterned very much like the sargassum weed in which it lives.
Read MoreThe sargassum fish (Histrio histrio) is patterned very much like the sargassum weed in which it lives.
Read More- paracanthopterygianEcology and behaviour
The tropical sargassum fish (Histrio histrio), so called because it lives amid floating brown algae of the genus Sargassum, clings to the branches of algae with prehensile pectoral fins as it searches for prey, which is sucked into the mouth by powerful jaws and expandable cheeks.
Read MoreThe tropical sargassum fish (Histrio histrio), so called because it lives amid floating brown algae of the genus Sargassum, clings to the branches of algae with prehensile pectoral fins as it searches for prey, which is sucked into the mouth by powerful jaws and expandable cheeks.
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