Animals that start with X

X-ray fish

Join us on a journey to uncover the secrets of the X-ray fish and its incredible ability to vanish into thin water! Follow Albert as he explores these amazing x-ray fish facts for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Click on the images to hear silly sounds and then read about fun x-ray fish facts like what do x-ray fish look like?, what sound do x-ray fish make?, how big are x-ray fish?, what do x-ray fish eat?, where do x-ray fish live?, and more fun facts about x-ray fish!

What do x-ray fish look like?

Debivort at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

X-ray fish are tiny fish. They are cold-blooded and have fins and gills.

X-ray fish are called this because their skin is see-through. When we hurt ourselves and doctors want to look and see if we’ve broken a bone, they take a photo of us called an X-ray. If an X-ray fish hurt itself, you would already be able to see its bones through its skin!

What sound do x-ray fish make?

Click the the image to hear the sound!

X-ray fish don’t really make a noise. They might say “blub” as they eat an insect from the surface of the water, but they can’t actually make noise.

How big are x-ray fish?

X-ray fish grow to 1-2 inches (3-5 centimeters) long. That’s shorter than an adult’s pinky finger.

What do x-ray fish eat?

X-ray fish eat worms, insects and small crustaceans like snails. Occasionally they eat water plants.

Baby x-ray fish, called fry, will eat tiny insect larvae.

Where do x-ray fish live?

X-ray fish live in and around the Amazon in South America. They live in freshwater and brackish water. This is water that has some sea water in it, so it is quite salty.

More fun facts about x-ray fish for kids

X-ray fish can hear with their backbone! These fish have 4 bones from their spine that connect the swim bladder to the fish’s inner ear. This helps them to hear sounds better so they can hear if predators are coming.
Female x-ray fish can lay up to 400 eggs at a time! The babies hatch one day later.
The see-through skin of the x-ray fish helps to keep it camouflaged. This means that it can hide from predators more easily because it is harder to see.
X-ray fish are very popular pets because they look so cool and they are a very hardy fish.
X-ray fish are one of the only fish species that can live in salt water and fresh water, acidic water and alkaline water. Although it prefers freshwater at a neutral or very lightly acidic pH. Most fish prefer one or the other of each of these conditions.
Male x-ray fish are smaller than the females.
X-ray fish live for 4 or 5 years in the wild.
Water pollution in the Amazon rivers and waterways is bad for the x-ray fish. If there is too much pollution in the water, then the fish might die.

Sources: Wikipedia, Live Science, Creative Commons, Britannica.com and Freesound.org