Lookdown

Selene vomer

Maximum Size:

19 in (48 cm)

Longevity:

Up to 20 years.

Typical depth:

2–30 ft (0.5–9 m)

Behavior:

Lookdowns frequent shallow coastal waters, including estuaries, from Maine to Brazil. They prey on small crabs, shrimp and fish. Their sloped, blunt forehead makes it easier to forage along the bottom, and makes it appear as if they are “looking down” as they hunt, hence the name.

Predators:

Mackerel and other large fish.

Did you know?

The family name Selene includes a number of fish species that, like the lookdown, have a round and gleaming, moon-like, appearance. In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene was the Goddess of the moon, the sister of the sun God Helios and the dawn Goddess Eos.