Main identification features
- top lip: large papillae
- body: dark spots and streaks
- dorsal fin and a: dark stripes
- behind lower jaw: 1 small papilla
- tail fin base: dark bar
Miller's clingfish
Body slightly depressed; head large, broad, well depressed; a large fleshy pad with free rear edge at base of pectoral fin; rear nostril over front edge of eye, front nostril with a large 2-lobed flap; top jaw with irregular outer row of pointed teeth, & a patch of irregular teeth behind them, a row of canines along side; teeth on lower jaw in 2 rows, outer row larger, 5-7 pairs of round-tipped incisors at front, followed by row of large canines; papillae on head well developed, lobe-like, 2 rows along margin of top lip, 2 very small papillae at center of lip; 1 small papilla on underside of head behind jaw; 5-6 small rakers on 2nd & 3rd gill arches; anus much closer to anal origin than sucker; pectoral 24-25 rays; sucker with 8-10 rows of papillae across front section, 2 widely spaced patches in center, 4-5 rows across rear section; dorsal 12-14 rays; anal 10 rays; tail 10-13 rays.
(Preserved fish) Top and sides pale with scattered black marks; dense black spots on front of head; short black streaks along sides of body; dorsal & anal with 2 prominent black stripes; tail with dark bar on base; pectoral pale with black spots at base.
Size: 4.2 cm.
Habitat: rocky bottoms.
Depth: 0-5 m.
Costa Rica.
Attributes
Abundance: Common.
Cites: Not listed.
Climate Zone: Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo).
Depth Range Max: 5 m.
Depth Range Min: 0 m.
Diet: mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs); mobile benthic worms; mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves.
Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=10; Southern limit=9; Western limit=-86; Eastern limit=-84; Latitudinal range=1; Longitudinal range=2.
Egg Type: Benthic; Pelagic larva.
Feeding Group: Carnivore.
FishBase Habitat: Reef Associated.
Global Endemism: Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic; East Pacific endemic; All species.
Habitat: Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom); Rocks; Reef (rock &/or coral); Reef only.
Inshore Offshore: Inshore; Inshore Only.
IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed.
Length Max: 4.2 cm.
Regional Endemism: Continent; Continent only; TEP endemic; Continental TEP endemic; Panamic province endemic; All species.
Residency: Resident.
Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.
Water Column Position: Bottom; Bottom only;
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- Briggs, J.C., 1955., A monograph of the clingfishes (Order Xenopterygii)., Stanford Ichthyol. Bull., 6:1-224.
- Lopez , M. I. and Bussing, W. A., 1982., Lista provisional de los peces marinos de la Costa Rica., Revista de Biologia Tropical, 30(1):5-26.
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