![]() With demersal fish the sand is usually pumped out of the mouth through the gill slit. Īs with other bottom feeders, a mechanism to deal with substrate is often necessary. Types Benthic flatfish and benthopelagic cod on a shore – Jan van Kessel senior, 1626–1679ĭemersal fish can be divided into two main types: strictly benthic fish which can rest on the sea floor, and benthopelagic fish which can float in the water column just above the sea floor.īenthopelagic fish have neutral buoyancy, so they can float at depth without much effort, while strictly benthic fish are denser, with negative buoyancy so they can lie on the bottom without any effort. They can be contrasted with pelagic fish which live and feed away from the bottom in the open water column.ĭemersal fish fillets contain little fish oil (one to four per cent), whereas pelagic fish can contain up to 30 per cent. The word demersal comes from the Latin demergere, which means to sink.ĭemersal fish are bottom feeders. They are not generally found in the deepest waters, such as abyssal depths or on the abyssal plain, but they can be found around seamounts and islands. In coastal waters they are found on or near the continental shelf, and in deep waters they are found on or near the continental slope or along the continental rise. They occupy the sea floors and lake beds, which usually consist of mud, sand, gravel or rocks. Fish that live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakesīluespotted ribbontail ray resting on the seafloor Rhinogobius flumineus swim on the beds of riversĭemersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes (the demersal zone).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |