Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing bogues. You may know this fish by its scientific name which looks like it spells “boops boops,” however we have some unfortunate information to share with you all in regards to that fun name, but we'll spare you until the end of the video. There are two living species in the bogue's genus, however this video is focused on the bogue specifically. These small fish live in marine waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Norway to Angola. They are present all throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea as well as island archipelagos throughout the Atlantic. Although they can dive over 1,000 feet (300 m) below the waves, these fish are most commonly observed no more than 300 feet (100 m) deep. Where they live in the water column is impacted by multiple factors.

Bogues spend most of their time near the bottom of the water column, often living closer to shore, or in the open water above their habitats which include muddy, sandy, rocky, and grassy bottoms. Adults typically swim deeper than their fry, however, bogues undergo vertical migration at night. When the sun goes down, these fish rise up to the surface to feed. Bogues are omnivorous, eating both animal matter in the form of small crustaceans and jellyfish as well as planktonic plant material. The night also grants them some protection from predators, larger fish, that would spot the bogue’s reflective scales more easily during the day. Apart from their daily migrations, bogues also move depending on the season, with winter encouraging them to deeper waters.

These fish travel in groups. They all begin life as females, and some individuals transition to males over time. Bogues live an average of 3 to 5 years, and the longest living have been documented at more than a decade old. They reach reproductive maturity between their first and second year of age and when they get together to mate they do so gregariously with fertilization occuring in the water column. Bogue larvae remain near the surface and slowly sink down as they develop over a few weeks. On average, these fish reach about six and a half inches (17 cm) long, however at their longest they max out at about 16 inches (40 cm), although these individuals are few and far between.

Aside from other fish, bogues are captured and eaten by humans. In some parts of the world, their presence in the fishing industry is nearly as grand as some other well known species such as anchovies and mackerels. Sometimes bogues are used as bait fish, other times they're sold in markets. Supposedly, they taste good and are served deep fried or broiled. When they are aware of nearby predators, bogues will make their way towards the darkest parts of the water, such as places where trees cast a shadow on the surface. This helps conceal them from watchful eyes.

Bogues are a silvery blue to green in color with reflective golden scales. They showcase dark bars running vertically down their sides and no sexual dimorphism. These fish get their name from their large eyes. A bogue’s eyes are so big they're greater in diameter than the measurement between their nose and the start of their eye. The name “boops” isn't actually pronounced “boops.” It's a combination of two Greek words meaning “cow-eyed.” instead of “boops” it's pronounced “bow-ops” with the first part similar to the “bo” in bovine and the second part like “ops” in optics. This makes us very sad, so we will not be correcting anyone pronouncing this fish's name incorrectly. They're still boopable to us!

For more facts on bogues, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!