Kapros [1] ( lat. Capros aper ) - a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family of caper [1] (Caproidae), recently isolated in a separate order Caproiformes [2] . The only representative of the genus Kapros [1] ( Capros ) [3] .
| Kapros |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Gender: | Capros ( Capros Lacépède , 1802 ) |
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Capros aper ( Linnaeus , 1758 ) |
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Least ConcernedIUCN 3.1 Least Concern : 198557 |
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The body is tall, compressed laterally, the height of the body significantly exceeds the length of the head and fits 1.7-1.9 times the standard length of the body, covered with small ctenoid scales . The upper profile of the head is concave; cone-shaped snout. The diameter of the eye is almost equal to the length of the snout. The mouth is large, strongly protruding forward, the maxillary bone reaches a vertical line passing through the middle of the orbit of the eye; on the upper part of the maxillary bone near the symphysis there is a pair of spiny plates. On both jaws 4 or 5 rows of thin teeth; there is a spot of small teeth on the opener and several small teeth on the palatine bone. Four branchial arches; on the first branchial arch 3-4–11 short gill stamens. Dorsal fin with a deep notch between the spiny and soft parts; in the prickly part 9-10 jagged spines, and in the soft part 23-25 soft branched rays. In the anal fin there are 3 prickly strong rays and 22-24 soft rays. The pectoral fins are short with a rounded edge, their length is approximately half the length of the head, 15 soft rays, the uppermost ray is short and similar to prickly. In abdominal fins 1 serrated spiny ray and 5 soft rays. The caudal fin is slightly rounded with 14 main rays and 12 branched rays. The head and body are silver-golden in color, the eyes are pale yellow. The spiny part of the dorsal fin is dark with a wide red edge. The soft part of the dorsal fin, anal and caudal fins are black with a dark yellow edge; ventral fins are red [4] .
The maximum body length is 30 cm, usually up to 13 cm [5] .
The Northeast Atlantic from the West African coast, the Canary and Azores , Madeira to Western Ireland and the English Channel, sometimes north to the Shetland Islands to Western Norway , penetrates Skagerrak , the Mediterranean Sea .
Deep fish living near the bottom. It occurs mainly above the rocky bottom, at a depth of 50-400 m. Individuals found in surface waters are supposedly carried to the surface by currents. They feed on small invertebrates .
Kapros females mature for the first time (50% of the population) at the age of 4.6 years with an average body length of 80.5 mm, and males at the age of 5.25 years with a body length of 87.8 mm. The maximum life expectancy is 26 years [6] . Spawning off the coast of Ireland in June - August, and in the Mediterranean Sea in spring and summer [7] .
