Bigcitybigfish12 wrote:
Goby Flathead. Most Flatheads are from the tropical Pacific but there are a few small species along the East Coast.
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Hey BCBF12 it's a skilletfish.
Skilletfish
Gobiesox strumosus
The skilletfish has a frying pan-shaped body that varies in color from pale gray to dark olive-brown, often with a mottled pattern. Adults have:
A large suction disk on the underside, formed by modified pelvic fins.
A broad, flat head with tiny eyes, strong teeth and fleshy lips.
A dark band at the base of a rounded tail fin.
Usually grow to about 3 inches.
Where do skilletfish live?
Skilletfish can be found throughout the Bay and its tributaries, as far north as the Magothy River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
During the warmer months they live in shallow waters, mostly among oyster reefs but also over mud flats and eelgrass beds.
In the winter they move to the Bay's deep channels.
Almost always found clinging to rocks or shells with their suction disk.
What do skilletfish eat?
Skilletfish feed mostly on bristle worms and small crustaceans.
How do skilletfish reproduce?
Skilletfish spawn from April through August. The female lays a few hundred small, amber-colored eggs into empty oyster shells. The male then guards the eggs until they hatch.
Other facts about skilletfish:
Also called the oyster clingfish because of its tendency to latch on to oyster shells.
Gets its name from its frying pan-shaped body.
With some luck, you can find a skilletfish hiding in an empty oyster shell in the shallows of the Bay. This fish clings to objects so tightly that it will stay stuck on a shell if it is taken out of the water!
Skilletfish are great aquarium fish. They will usually cling to the glass of the tank, just as they cling to shells in the Bay
This post edited by 2Aces 07:15 PM 07/31/2008
