FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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The glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgkii), of the family Pempheridae, is a nocturnal fish species also known as the copper sweeper. The species Pempheris are small marine creatures and the glassy sweeper has a maximum body length of 6in (15 cm). This fish species lives under the dark caves and coral reefs in shallow ocean levels, mostly occurring in the Caribbean Ocean, Indo-West Pacific Ocean, and Western Atlantic Ocean.
The glassy sweeper, or copper sweeper, has an oblique, thin body, large eyes, and a dark band on its anal fin. You will find these nocturnal species within large schools of fish - hiding during the day and foraging at night. They usually prey on smaller marine creatures, especially zooplankton.
If you enjoy reading this article about the glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgki), you might also want to check out pin-tailed whydah facts and southern royal albatross facts.
The glassy sweeper is a small fish that is part of the family Pempheridae, also known as sweepers. It is one of the 70 species in the genus Pempheris.
The glassy sweeper is a kind of fish that usually preys on zooplankton. They are known to be one of the Caribbean reef species.
There is no official record of how many glassy sweepers exist but studies show that they are abundant across the globe with no possible threat of extinction.
Glassy sweepers (Pempheris schomburgki) are a small species that live in shallow tropical waters. They are abundant in the Caribbean, Pacific, Western Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
Glassy sweepers (Pempheris schomburgki) are mostly found in depths up to 100 ft (30 m). During the day, they hide under rocky caves, coral reefs, and dark crevices, and only swim out to open water at night. Some researchers have found them housing under shipwrecks too!
The glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgki) lives in large schools of fish.
The glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgki) is a poorly studied marine species. There is not much research done on its lifestyle and behavior. Although its longevity is still unknown, it is good to know that the average lifespan of a saltwater fish is 20 years.
One of the few scientific observations of the species, Pempheris, was conducted in a laboratory by Müller and Troschel in 1999. The study found that the glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgki) exhibits no pre-spawning activities and that the spawning of this species occurs every two to four nights. Approximately 400-500 eggs are released and it roughly takes 30-40 hours to develop such eggs.
Another research was conducted by Koeda in 2012 in Okinawa, Japan. In his study, he mentioned that such night-time spawning of this sweeper fish is an adaptive habit to protect themselves, both adults and eggs, from predators. He also states that the reproductive habits of the species Pempheris are dependent on varying environmental factors. Hence, the species in Japan may exhibit different mating patterns than the ones found around the Western Atlantic and Caribbean regions.
The glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgkii) is currently declared as of Least Concern as the IUCN determines no major threat on this species and its population globally remains stable. However, a study conducted on a Caribbean island found that the population of glassy sweepers and other reef-associated species has greatly diminished over the years. This is mainly due to mishandled fishing methods that did not only decrease the population of targeted fishes but also indirectly resulted in habitat loss of other species, including the glassy sweeper.
The glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgkii) has a thin, oblong body, large eyes, and a very short snout. Its belly is deep and its head and mouth are oblique. It has a distinct dark band at the base of its anal fin and a deeply curved ventral profile in front of its pelvic fin.
Depending on how much you like marine animals, glassy sweeper fish can be really cute. Seeing them swim in large schools with their tiny fins can be quite alluring!
There is no scientific information on the social behavior of the copper sweeper (glassy sweeper) species. Generally, fish communicate through exhibiting a variety of sounds, smells, coloration, motion, bioluminescence, and electrical impulses.
Being a small fish, the length of the glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgki) only measures up to 6in (15 cm). That is just about the size of a human palm!
The glassy sweeper cannot really swim fast given its small fins. They would rather navigate through caves and coral reefs at a moderate speed.
The glassy sweeper is so thin and small that it only weighs up to 0.02-0.04 lbs (15-20 g). The females are said to get a bit heavier during the spawning season.
Like any other fish, there are no particular names for the male and female glassy sweepers.
There is no particular name for the baby glassy sweeper but a juvenile fish is generally called a fry.
The glassy sweeper (Copper Sweeper) is a nocturnal species that only go out of their caves or ledges at night to find food. They forage on zooplankton, larval stages of invertebrates, and microorganisms from the skin of bigger marine animals.
Despite its abundance and accessible habitat, the glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgki) is not a popular food source for humans, probably because of its very thin body. When you see them in the local market, it is often the case that they were trapped in fishing nets and shrimp trawls. One of the most common predators of the glassy sweeper is the red lionfish (Pterois Volitrans). The red lionfish is a newly introduced species that was found in abundance, especially in the north Caribbean region.
The glassy sweeper is also not popular in the fish pet trade. Not many people are interested to have this species at home. However, studies show that a small group of glassy sweepers can be housed in medium to large aquariums with caves, coral-like structures, and wide swimming areas. It can be a very technical job because this species requires a low-light environment. Nonetheless, experts warn that it is best to leave them in their natural habitat.
Aside from being known as 'copper sweeper', there are many other names for the glassy sweeper such as blackspot sweeper, bronze sweeper, bullseyes, cave sweeper, hatchet fish, keeled bullseye, keeled sweeper, oualan bullseye, oualan sweeper, and silver sweeper!
From its name, glassy sweeper (Pempheris schomburgkii) is literally glassy-eyed sweeper fish. Their eyes are huge, almost one-third the size of their body. 'Copper sweeper', is derived from its shiny color that is coppery red to olive.
Like other fish, glassy sweepers do bite, especially on zooplankton, however, it is so small that it poses little to no harm to humans.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish including white crappie facts and lionfish facts.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Glassy sweeper coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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