atlantic spadefish in ocean
Oceans

Atlantic Spadefish

Chaetodipterus faber

About

Spadefish get their name from the shape of the bodies. Adults live in large schools in shallow areas, including coral reefs and shipwrecks, where they’re often spotted by scuba divers. They feed by day on tiny marine life such as plankton.

Like many other fish, spadefish reproduce by spawning—a female may lay up to a million eggs that are fertilized in the water! Eggs hatch in just a day into larvae, which grow into adults. Young fish are brown and resemble leaves or seed pods, and they can swim at an angle in shallow water—all of which makes them hard to be seen by predators. As they grow, their four to six vertical stripes become more distinct.

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Size
Up to 3 feet long and 20 pounds in weight
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Live in
Western Atlantic Ocean
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Food
Invertebrates, plankton
IUCN Red List Status
Least Concern
Atlantic spadefish

Conservation

Atlantic spadefish are considered at low risk of extinction, but they are a popular catch in the fishing industry. This species is part of an Association of Zoos & Aquariums marine fish larva rearing program at the Indianapolis Zoo, which helps support sustainable fish populations in the wild. You can help protect ocean wildlife by choosing sustainable seafood. The Seafood Watch program can teach you how!

WHERE ARE THEY AT THE ZOO?

cropped zoo map showing chimpanzee location