Northern Stargazer

Astroscopus Guttatus

The northern stargazer is a blackish-brown fish with white spots that gradually get bigger from the head to the tail. Adults have:

• Mouth and eyes that face upward.
• A flat body with a large head.
• Three dark horizontal lines on its tail.

Northern stargazers can reach a length of 22 inches.

Where does the northern stargazer live?

Northern stargazers live in the deep waters of the Atlantic Coast between the states of North Carolina and New York. They are known to swim into the Chesapeake Bay to find prey.

What does the northern stargazer eat?

Northern stargazers feed on small fish, crabs and other crustaceans.

• Small fish
• Crabs or other crustaceans

How does the northern stargazer reproduce?

Northern stargazers lay transparent eggs on the bottom of the bay. The eggs then float to the surface and hatch into larvae. Once they grow to about 12-15mm long, they swim to the bottom of the bay where they mature into adults.

Other facts about the northern stargazer:

• The stargazer's scientific name, Astrocopus, means "one who aims at the stars" and guttatus means "speckled."
• Northern stargazers are sabotage predators, burrowing into the sand with just their eyes sticking out as they search for prey above. Once prey swim by, the stargazer uses its large mouth to create a vacuum and suck the prey in. 
• The stargazer has an electric organ on its head that can deliver an electric charge that stuns and confuses its prey.