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Species: Acyrtus nudus, Padded Clingfish

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wide head
dense dark spots in pale reticulum
top lip wide, wider in center
sucker large, papilla front, rear, 2 close central patches
pectoral base: large pad

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.


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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