Description

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Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 14; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13.

Common Names

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Sydamerikansk stjernekigger , Danish , Denmark

Southern stargazer , English , USA

Southern stargazer , English , Global

Uranoscope tacheté , French , France

大西洋星鰧 , Mandarin Chinese , China

Bacalhau , Portuguese , Brazil

Aniquim , Portuguese (Brazilianism) , Brazil

Pomboca , Portuguese (Brazilianism) , Brazil

Mira céu , Portuguese (Latin) , Brazil

Miracéu , Portuguese (Latin) , Brazil

звездочет южный , Russian , Russia

Miracielo del sureste , Spanish , Mexico

Miracielo pintado , Spanish , Spain

Sydlig stjärnkikare , Swedish , Sweden

Taxonomic Hierarchy

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Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Perciformes/Uranoscopoidei

Family: Uranoscopidae

Genus: Astroscopus

Species: Astroscopus ygraecum (Cuvier, 1829)

Climate Zone

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Subtropical

Location

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Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to Yucatan, Mexico; northern coast of South America (Ref. 5217). Absent in the West Indies.

Biology

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Inhabits silty, sandy, or rubble bottoms (Ref. 9710). Feeds on fishes (Ref. 13628). Possesses electric organs located in a specialized pouch behind the eyes. Can discharge up to 50 volts (Ref. 10576).The electric organ discharge (EOD) rate depends on the temperature: about 500 Hz at 35°C and 50 Hz at 15°C (corresponding to the annual temperature range of the habitat of this species) (Ref. 10011). Cleithral spine with venom gland (Ref. 57406).

Habitat

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associated