Species: Sanopus splendidus, Splendid Toadfish

Sanopus splendidus Collette, Starck & Phillips in Collette, 1974

Splendid Toadfish

Relatively long bodied; head depressed, with many branched barbells and skin flaps, especially along lower jaw; only 1-2 central barbells on chin are branched; no cirri between eyes; front nostrils are tubular; gill openings restricted to side, before pectoral fin base; operculum with 2 solid spines at top corner and one at bottom corner; a large pore leading to a group of glands just behind base of pectoral fin, no glands on pectoral fin itself; dorsal fin III, 29-31; 25 anal fin rays; 2 lateral lines, 30-34 papillae on upper lateral line, 28-30 on lower line; no light organs; no scales.

Head black, with dense white zebra-like lines; body dark grey, with faint chain-link pattern; fins dark grey, with broad yellow-orange and black borders, pelvics yellow.

Reaches 29 cm.

Lives in caves under corals.

Depth range: 10-25 m.

Cozumel Island, Mexico, and Glover's Reef, Belize.