A Fish of Distinction: Exploring the Enigmatic John Dory

selim12 December 4, 2023 0 Comments

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John Dory, St Pierre or Peter’s fish, refers to fish of the genus Zeus, especially Zeus faber; It’s a very thin fish that cannot be seen from the front. This fish has a unique shape and weirdly bizarre eyes.

Table of Contents

History And Habitat Of John Dory:

this fish was discovered by Captain James Cook on his first voyage to New Zealand in 1769. It’s widely common in New Zealand, Maori. But they are also found on the coasts of Africa, South East Asia, Australia, the coasts of Japan, and on the coasts of Europe. They live near the seabed, living in depths from 5 to 360 meters in coral reefs.

Size and Appearance:

It grows to 65 cm maximum and weighs 5 kg. It has 10 long spines on its dorsal fin and 4 spines on its anal fin with sharp scales around the body. Its color is olive green with a silver-white belly with dark spots on the side.It has very large creepy eyes compared to body size providing it’s binocular vision and depth perception it needs to catch prey!

You can watch in movement into the deepsea in this video:

Diet:

It primarily eats sardines. Occasionally it eats squid and cuttlefish. Its main predators are sharks such as the dusky shark, and large bony fish.

The John Dory Hunting Technique:

One thing to notice is that this fish has a unique hunting style: it stalks the prey and extends its jaw forward to suck the fish in with some water. The water then flows out through the gills; the pre-maxillary bone, the only tooth-bearing bone in this fish, is used to grind the food. What an amazing technique!

Reproduction & LifeSpan:

they are ready to substrate scattering (they release sperm and eggs into the water to fertilize) at the age of 3 to 4 years around the end of winter. Though they are solitary most of the time, they are only ready to socialize during the reproduction period.

Their maximum lifespan is about 12 years in the wild.

Cool Facts About John Dory:

1. They are poor swimmers

2. Their swim bladder has a significant role in their hunting maneuver

they are widely common in food restaurants due to their versatility(a popular choice among chefs)

The John Dory Fish is a very bizarre but tiny creature, if you loved it like I did, follow our social links & stay tuned for more deepsea wonders! Feel free to drop your questions in the comment section!

Why are they called John Dory?

The origin of the name is uncertain, but it may be derived from the French u0022jaune doré,u0022 meaning u0022golden yellow,

Why is it so expensive?

The is considered a delicacy due to its delicate white flesh, firm texture, and mild, slightly sweet flavor. It is also a challenging fish to catch, which contributes to its high price. Additionally, its scarcity in some regions and high demand in fine-dining restaurants further drive up its price1.

What is so special about John Dory fish?

St Pierre Fish is known for its unique appearance, delicate white flesh, and mild, slightly sweet flavor. It has a discus-shaped body with long spines on its dorsal fin and large black dots on its sides, which are thought to be a form of misdirection for predators

What’s the slang?

The John Dory fish is sometimes referred to as the u0022st. Peter fishu0022 because of a legend that the black spot on its side represents St. Peter’s fingerprints.