Fish
Stargazer
Uranoscopus scaber
(GSA7) Gulf of Lion, (GSA8) Corsica
Fishing zones
Wild
Origin
17.5 cm
Minimum size
Description
The stargazer has a massive, cylindrical body at the front, becoming compressed towards the tail. Its most striking feature is the large, cubic head with eyes situated on top (looking "skyward"). The mouth is vertical and upward-directed, featuring a small, worm-like fleshy appendage attached to the lower jaw. It possesses a venomous spine above each pectoral fin and is capable of discharging weak electric shocks. It is an ambush predator. Concealed in the sand, it uses its oral appendage (the "lure") to attract small fish and benthic invertebrates. When prey approaches, it lunges suddenly to swallow it.
Habitat
It is a marine, benthic (bottom-dwelling) fish typically found at depths between 15 and 150 meters. It primarily inhabits soft bottoms, such as sand or mud, where it buries itself completely, leaving only its eyes and mouth exposed.
Distribution
It is found in the eastern Atlantic, from the Bay of Biscay to Senegal. It is also very common throughout the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea