Striped Burrfish
Chilomycterus schoepfii
The striped burrfish has a round body and a parrot-like beak.
The striped burrfish is a small, yellowish-green puffer fish covered with short, sharp spines. It visits the Chesapeake Bay’s grassy flats from spring through autumn.
Appearance:
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Short, round body
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Yellowish-green with dark, wavy stripes
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Head and body covered with short, sharp spines
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Large, dark spots at the base of the dorsal fin, and above and behind the pectoral fins
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Strong, parrot-like beak
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Grows to 10 inches long
Habitat:
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Bottom-dweller, found in areas near bay grass beds
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Mostly solitary
Range:
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Visits the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay from late spring to autumn
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Reaches as far north as the Patuxent River
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Leaves the Bay to spend winter in warmer southern waters
Feeding:
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Feeds on invertebrates such as barnacles and hermit crabs
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Uses its powerful beak-like jaws to crush and consume its prey
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Sometimes eats its prey whole – shell and all!
Predators:
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Fends off predators by puffing its body into a spiny ball
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
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Little is known about its reproductive cycle
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Believed to spawn offshore at night
Other Facts:
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Burrfish are not very good swimmers. They move by squirting water out of their gill openings, which jets the fish forward.
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If you happen to catch a spiny burrfish while fishing, please use extreme care when handling the fish to avoid getting injured by its sharp spines or powerful beak.
Sources and Additional Information:
