Species: Sanopus astrifer, Starry Toadfish, Whitespotted Toadfish

Sanopus astrifer (Robins & Starck, 1965)
Starry Toadfish, Whitespotted Toadfish
Relatively long bodied; head depressed, with many branched barbells and skin flaps, especially along lower jaw; only central 1 or 2 pairs of barbells on chin are branched; no cirri between eyes; front nostrils tubular; operculum with 2 solid spines at top corner and one at bottom corner; no canine teeth; gill openings restricted to side, before pectoral fin base; a large pore leading to a group of glands just behind base of pectoral fin, no glands on pectoral fin itself; dorsal fin III, 31-34; 24-28 anal fin rays; 2 lateral lines, 30-41 papillae on upper lateral line, 27-36 on lower line, no light organs; no scales.
Dark grey-black; head and and body with many small white spots.
Reaches 27.8 cm.
Lives in caves under corals.
Depth range: 5-30 m.
Caribbean Mexico to Belize.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef only
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Mobile benthic worms
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Data
- No pelagic larva
- No pelagic phase
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Caribbean endemic
- Continent
- Continent only
- GC endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Vulnerable
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 27.8
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 30