Striped beakfish

Striped beakfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Oplegnathidae
Genus:	Oplegnathus
Species:	O. fasciatus
Binomial name
Oplegnathus fasciatus Krøyer, 1845

The striped beakfish, Oplegnathus fasciatus, also called the barred knifejaw or the striped beakperch, is a tropical fish found primarily in Japanese waters, and its main habitats are coral reefs. It has been sighted twice in Malta and only once in Hawaii & Washington state.

While old, the fish is distinguished by alternating stripes or bars of light and dark grey, hence the common names. Adults, which grow up to 15 inches, tend to be charcoal grey.

Its diet consists largely of shelled invertebrates.

Trivia

• The barred knifejaw is a catchable fish in the Animal Crossing series. It can be sold to Tom Nook for 5,000 bells.
• In the anime series One Piece, the mermaid "Ishilly"' is a black-and-white-striped beakfish mermaid.
• A striped beakfish is the surviving specimen of five striped beakfish that endured more than two years in the partially submerged hull of the Japanese boat Sai-shou-maru.

References

• "Oplegnathus fasciatus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 24 January 2006. 
• Barred Knifejaw
• The Fish that Travelled 10000 Kilometres
• Japanese 'tsunami fish' hitches ride to US