Main identification features
- body: no marks
- d:13, 7 dark blotches
- c: 2 bars, 1st black
- protruding teethinside mouth - not colored
- anal fin black
Toothy jawfish
Elongate, slender, compressed, tapering; head profile rounded; front nostril with a simple flap at rear; top margin of operculum straight in male, concave in female, without a flap; mouth at front, relatively short, extends less than one eye-diameter behind eye, top jaw expanded dorsally at rear and with straight to concave rear edge, same in both sexes; teeth on both jaws slightly protruding, visible when mouth is closed; no papillae between tooth rows; lateral line on front half of body only, ends under between first and second dorsal soft ray, 28-31 pores; 1-2 small curved teeth at front of roof of mouth; 23-26 rakers on first gill arch; dorsal fin XI,13, fin extended at rear; anal III, 12, fin extended at rear; pelvic fin with second soft ray very long in both sexes; tail fin rounded; head, nape and pectoral fin base scaleless, rest of body scaly; 49-57 oblique scale rows.
Preserved fish: head and body cream; top of head tan, with a tiny black spot on each side behind eye, nape, operculum and cheek with diffuse brown network; snout dusky, front half of top jaw dusky, interrupted by a pale area at front side; underside of head dusky; iris dark; dorsal fin dusky, with ~7 diffuse blotches on membranes in spiny and soft sections, 1st one between spines I-II; anal fin black; inner 3 rays of pelvic fin black in male; tail with black-bar across base and a dusky bar across the mid-fin; no obvious color inside mouth; no dark bars inside top jaw.
Size: 4.7cm.
Habitat: burrows in sand and rubble.
Depth: 55-82m.
Upper Gulf of California and Costa Rica.
Attributes
Abundance: Common.
Cites: Not listed.
Climate Zone: Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap); Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos); Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo).
Depth Range Max: 82 m.
Depth Range Min: 55 m.
Diet: bony fishes; mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs); mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves.
Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=32; Southern limit=9; Western limit=-115; Eastern limit=-84; Latitudinal range=23; Longitudinal range=31.
Egg Type: Brooded; Pelagic larva.
Feeding Group: Carnivore.
FishBase Habitat: Demersal.
Global Endemism: East Pacific endemic; Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic; All species.
Habitat: Sand & gravel; Soft bottom (mud, sand,gravel, beach, estuary & mangrove); Soft bottom only.
Inshore Offshore: Inshore; Inshore Only.
IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed.
Length Max: 4.7 cm.
Regional Endemism: TEP endemic; Continental TEP endemic; 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic; Continent only; Continent; All species.
Residency: Resident.
Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.
Water Column Position: Bottom; Bottom only;
|
