Species: Vladichthys gloverensis, Glover’s Toadfish

Vladichthys gloverensis (Greenfield & Greenfield, 1973)

Glover’s Toadfish

Head and front of body greatly depressed; head with few barbells, none around lower jaw; 2 cirri over eye, the front one with 3 fringes, the rear one with 6 fringes; teeth pointed, but no canines, teeth on sides of jaws and on sides of roof of mouth; 2 solid spines on upper opercle pointing to rear and 1 pointing down below those; gill openings restricted to side, before pectoral fin base; 1 dorsal fin III solid spines, 20-21 rays; anal fin 15-17 rays; dorsal and anal fins not joined to tail fin; a patch of glands between upper pectoral rays on inner surface of fin; no pore opening to surface at rear of base of pectoral fin; 2 lateral lines, upper with 15-16 pores, lower with 13-19 pores, each pore with 1-2 skin flaps; no light organs; no scales.

Body yellowish-white with ~4 dark brown bars (1st from origin of 2nd dorsal to upper pectoral rays, 2nd from 5th dorsal ray to anal fin (breaking into spots ventrally), 3rd from 11th dorsal ray to anal fin, 4th from 16th dorsal ray to tail base behind anal fin, head white with reddish brown bars and mottling, upper part with small brown, often interconnected spots; a cream bar from eye to top jaw; top and bottom lips cream, with brown vertical bars; iris gold; pectoral base and abdomen with a pinkish tint; pectoral base with distinct large brown blotches; dorsal, anal, pectoral and tail fins yellowish-white, dorsal and anal with dark stripes, pectoral and tail fins each with ~6 brown bars; pelvics white with 8 dark brown bars; skin flaps on lateral line pores white; anus surrounded by a white ring, bordered by brown pigment; inside mouth white .

Reaches 6.8 cm.

Rubble bottoms.

Depth range: 15-34 m.

Known only from the barrier reef and oceanic reefs of Belize & Honduras.