Antarctic spiny plunderfish
Amazing fact
The Antarctic spiny plunderfish spends a lot of time caring for its young.
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
The Antarctic spiny plunderfish spends a lot of time caring for its young.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Antarctic spiny plunderfish
- Scientific name
- Harpagifer antarcticus
- Japanese name
- アンタークティックスパイニープランダーフィッシュ
- Group
- Ocean animals
- Order
- Perciformes
- Family
- Harpagiferidae
- Genus
- Harpagifer
A fish of shallow rocky areas in Antarctic waters. The very shallowest water has few living things, because drifting ice scrapes the seabed.
Its body is the color of stone, and it hides on the undersides of rocks, under stones, and in crevices.
Its shape is reminiscent of the kajika sculpin found in Japanese rivers. It eats small creatures such as shrimp.
How the Antarctic spiny plunderfish lives
Its larvae spend a long period in open water.
Museums VictoriaBasic data
- Size
- Total length: 6 cm
- Diet
- Small animals such as shrimp
- Range
- Southern Ocean
Where the Antarctic spiny plunderfish has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 简体中文
- 真裸南极鱼
- 繁體中文
- 真裸南極魚
- Português (Brasil)
- Gunari-antártico
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 葛西臨海水族園 — アンタークティックスパイニープランダーフィッシュChecked: 2026-11-03
- Museums Victoria — Antarctic spiny plunderfish, Harpagifer antarcticus Nybelin 1947Checked: 2026-11-07
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Antarctic spiny plunderfish
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Perciformes
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