Red Irish Lord
Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus
- Class
- Ray-finned fish
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 586
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the family Agonidae. It is found in the northern Pacific Ocean, from Russia to Alaska and as far south as Monterey Bay. It is a distinctly red fish, with brown, yellow, white, and black mottling, that is generally around 30 cm (12 in) long, though specimens can grow to up to 51 cm (20 in) in length. German naturalist Wilhelm Gottlieb Tilesius formally described it in 1811. Carnivorous, it hides camouflaged among rocks on the ocean floor and lashes out to seize its prey—crabs, fish and shrimp.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Red Irish lord”.