Species: Acyrtops beryllinus, Emerald Clingfish

Acyrtops beryllinus (Hildebrand & Ginsburg, 1927)

Emerald Clingfish

Body fairly short; head relatively large; eye relatively large (67-77% of space between eyes); nostrils well separated, tubular; skin flap from nostril short, length = diameter of nostril; top lip narrow, about the same width at front as at sides; teeth at front of top jaw sharp pointed, compressed, with a patch of small, conical teeth behind them, lower incisors serrated; a few small fleshy lobes under lower jaw, but nowhere else on head; 6-7 broad gill rakers on 2nd arch; sucker disc relatively small (<25% of SL), with short papillae at front and rear and a small patch in center; pectoral fin 21 (20-22), lowest 5-7 rays distinctly reduced in size, a small fleshy pad on lower pectoral base; median fins short; 1 dorsal fin, at rear, no spines, dorsal fin 5-6; anal 6 (5-6), like dorsal fin and under it; tail 8; no scales; lateral line present as pores on head only.

Bright emerald green, covered with white spots and dots, or with brown spots and blotches.

Reaches 2.5 cm.

Lives in Thalassia seagrass beds.

Depth range: 1-15 m.

The Bahamas to Brazil.

Note: the taxonomic relationship between A. amplicirrus and A. beryllinus is confused and their distributions uncertain.