WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Pineconefish

Monocentris japonica

Also known as: Dick Bridegroom Fish, Japanese Pineapplefish, Knightfish, Pine Sculpin, Pineapplefish, Sawbelly, Soldierfish, Monocentris japonicus

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2020
Adult
@bakera · Taba, Egypt · March 20111 / 3
01

Overview

Found in schools, during the day close to the shore, in caves and under ledges, dispersing at night hunting for food, over sandy bottoms of rocky reefs.
They feed nocturnally on crustaceans and zooplankton, which they attract with their internal light organ, that gives them a glow effect.
Juveniles found in shallow waters.

Pineconefishes have large hard armoured scales which resemble a pinecone. Near the tip of their jaws they have a small rectangular light organ, powered by luminescent symbiotic bacteria, at night this produces a cold blue/green light which may be used to locate food or for communication.

02

How to identify

Pattern
lines

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found in schools, during the day close to the shore, in caves and under ledges, dispersing at night hunting for food, over sandy bottoms of rocky reefs.

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Adult photos 3

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderTrachichthyiformes
    5. familyMonocentridae
    6. genusMonocentris
    7. speciesMonocentris japonica (Houttuyn, 1782)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Trachichthyiformes