Selene vomer – Lookdown
Selene vomer was already described in 1758 by Linnaeus. In common English, they are often referred to as Lookdown. The shape of their head makes it look like they are looking down.
Origin
The adult Selene vomer generally inhabit the shallow coastal waters above hard or sandy bottoms to a depth of up to 10 meters. The young specimen can be found in tidal estuaries and off sandy beaches. You can usually find them in schools, but in some cases also in small groups or even couples.
Diet
Adult Selene vomer feed on crabs, shrimp, fish and worms. With their head down, they hunt for prey below them. In a school, they can completely enclose other fish or prey animals so that they cannot move.
When hunting, their silvery color helps them to go unnoticed. Because of the color and the shine that lies over the body, they are almost invisible from below. They have very small scales which help them to shoot through the water faster.
The Aquarium
The Selene vomer is not kept in the home aquarium. You can occasionally encounter them in large public aquariums.
Peculiarity
This fish is also caught for consumption. You can eat them just fine.
Video
Author
John de Lange
Copyright images
Gérard Semence – Rêvedimages Phototèque
