Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Razorfish Aeoliscus strigatus
While some reef fish habitually swim upside down, razorfish swim in synchronized groups in a vertical position, with their long, tubular snouts pointing down. These strange fish are encased in transparent bony plates that meet in a sharp ridge along the belly, like the edge of a razor, and also form a sharp point at the tail. A dark stripe along the body provides camouflage for the razorfish when hiding among sea urchins and branched corals.
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- Order Syngnathiformes
- Length 6 in (15 cm)
- Weight Not recorded
- Depth 3–65 ft (1–20 m)
- Distribution Tropical reefs in Indian Ocean and western Pacific
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