Species: Acyrtus nudus, Padded Clingfish

Acyrtus nudus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Padded Clingfish
Tadpole shaped, with flattened body and wide flattened head; a few fleshy lobes under chin, but nowhere else on head; front nostril with a large branched skin flap; top lip broad, much wider at front than at sides; top jaw with a deep patch of irregular incisors at front, no canines or conical teeth behind; lower jaw with incisors at front, then 1 large canine then 4 small conical teeth behind those on side; 1 dorsal fin, at rear, no spines, 7-8; anal fin 6-7, like dorsal fin and under it; pectoral fin 23-25, lower 5-7 rays not markedly reduced in size; sucker very large, front and rear parts with a broad band of papillae, central part with 2 close-set patches of papilla; a conspicuous fleshy pad at base of pectoral fin; no scales; lateral line present as pores on head only.
Pale fish: body and head with pale grey background densely covered with darker blotches formed by tight clusters of dark dots; iris with an inner cream ring; . Dark fish: body grey to reddish, with a dense network darker brown blotches; iris with an inner red ring; head with indistinct bars radiating down from eye, dark blotches on body form 5 indistinct bars, one across rear of head, 2 on body before dorsal fin, one under dorsal fin, one on tail base; tail fin with 3 dark vertical bars formed by rows of spots; dorsal, anal and pectoral fins with dark rays.
Reaches 9 cm.
Lives in surge zones of rocky shores.
Depth range: 0-8 m.
The Bahamas to the S Caribbean.
Note: A. macrophthalmus is a synonym.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
-
- Reef only
- Rocks
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Mobile benthic worms
- Egg Type
-
- Benthic
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Insular primarily
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 9
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 8