Species: Ogcocephalus parvus, Roughback batfish

head high

Ogcocephalus parvus Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
Roughback batfish
Head raised relatively high; disc triangular; snout pointed, rostrum a finger to a short cone, usually tilted upwards; fish-lure with 3 fleshy points, in a small cavity under horn; eyes on sides of head; mouth relatively small (36-50% head depth); spine at lower rear corner of operculum blunt or little developed; gill rakers are oval plates covered with small teeth; gill openings small, behind upper base of pectoral fin; dorsal and anal fins small, at rear of body; pectoral and pelvic fins limb-like; pectorals completely separated from body, skin on underside of rays thick and spongy, forming pads near tips of rays; fin membrane thick and opaque, 10-11 rays; skin covered dorsal fin on tail, small fleshy anal fin (usually 4 rays) under tail; top of body with large bucklers as well as conical spines, bucklers very prominent giving a rough, broken, knobby surface; underside of body completely covered with pointed, bony scales, underside of tail densely covered with small prickles, with sometimes a few conical spines along midline; 5-6 lateral line scales under operculum, 8 on cheek.
Color is variable: Gulf of Mexico: face and upper head and body dark brown; shoulders and in pectoral axil with large irregularly shaped lavender spots in a reticulum of cream lines; small black spots on tail and disc; cheeks with orange, brown-ringed spots in a mesh of cream lines; lips orange; iris gold, flecked with orange; pectorals orange, with broad black margins; tail fin with dark brown base, white center and orange margin. SE US: upper body bright tan, suffused with large patches of red-orange; dark, pale-ringed spots on shoulders and pectoral axil; dorsal fin orange; pectorals with an orange stripe inside the black margin. Guyana: upper surface very dark, with an irregular network of irregular spots on shoulders; tips of many bucklers orange; pectorals with orange bar inside black margin; lower surface bright orange; lips red; anal fin red, with a white stripe.
Reaches 10 cm.
Habitat soft bottoms.
Depth range: 29-360 m.
N Carolina to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Sand & gravel
- Mud
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic worms
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- All species..
- Also in Brazil
- Extends N + S of GC
- Continent
- Island (s)
- Extends North of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Extends South of GC
- Continental primarily
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 10
- Depth Range Min
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- 29
- Depth Range Max
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- 360