Kingdom Animalia Genus Sebastes Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Family Sebastidae Scientific name Sebastes capensis Higher classification Rockfish Order Scorpaeniformes | |
 | ||
Similar Rockfish, Sebastes vulpes, Scorpaeniformes, Sebastes flammeus, Sebastes schlegelii | ||
The false jacopever or Cape redfish (Sebastes capensis) is a marine fish belonging to the family Sebastidae. Found only in waters off the western coast of South Africa, Tristan da Cunha and southern South America, S. capensis lives in depths of 20 to 275 metres (66 to 902 ft). It reaches up to 37 centimetres (15 in) in length, and is reddish or brownish with 5-6 pale spots on the upper part of the body. It has extremely prominent eyes. It mainly feeds on mysids.
Contents
Etymology and taxonomic history
The species was originally described by Gmelin in 1789 as Scorpaena capensis. It was later reclassified as Sebastichthys capensis. In 1917, it was redescribed by Evermann and Radcliffe as Sebastes chamaco. The species' common name was derived from the pock-marked acne skin of an old skipper.
Description
The Cape redfish is a demersal fish that grows to a maximum length of about 37 cm (15 in) though a more normal size is about 30 cm (12 in). The dorsal fin has about thirteen spines and thirteen soft rays and the anal fin has three spines and six soft rays. The general colour of this fish is reddish or brown, and there are five or six pale spots on its back.
Distribution and habitat
The Cape redfish is found in subtropical waters in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean on the coasts of South Africa, Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island. Another population is present in the southeastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile. The depth range for this species is 20 to 275 m (66 to 902 ft).
Biology
The Cape redfish feeds on small benthic invertebrates. It is a viviparous species, retaining the eggs internally until they hatch. In the fiords of southern Chile, the young larvae occupy the channels where copepod eggs are plentiful while larger larvae move onto shelf areas where the salinity is higher and larger copepod prey is more abundant.