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Species: Amphichthys cryptocentrus, Bocon Toadfish

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large tentacle over eye
D1 III
operculum - 2 + 1 spines
no glands on pectoral fin
no pore after pectoral base
no scales

Amphichthys cryptocentrus (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1837)

Bocon Toadfish

Head and front of body greatly depressed; head with many barbells, especially around lower jaw; a prominent branched tentacle over eye; teeth molar-like to pointed, but no canines; 2 solid spines on upper opercle and 1 below those; gill openings restricted to side, before pectoral fin base; dorsal fin with III solid spines, spiny and soft parts joined, soft part 29 rays; anal fin 23-25 rays; dorsal and anal fins not joined to tail fin; no glands between upper pectoral rays on inner surface of fin; a gland but no pore opening to surface at rear of base of pectoral fin; 2 lateral lines (32-40 pores in upper, 27-34 in lower); no light organs; no scales.

Head and body pale brown to yellowish, with diffuse mottled markings; belly whitish; head often with small orange spots, and lower part brown with white reticulations, a dark irregular bar from eye to lower operculum; a dark transverse bar across nape, followed by a second bar; dorsal fin with alternating yellow and brown bars; anal fin almost uniformly yellow.

Reaches 34 cm.

Rock and sand bottoms.

Depth range: 1-109 m.

Panama to Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Corals
  • Estuary
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • No pelagic larva
  • No pelagic phase
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 34
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 109