Species: Gobiesox barbatulus, Lappetlip Clingfish
nostril - large, fringed flap

Gobiesox barbatulus Starks, 1913
Lappetlip Clingfish
Tadpole shaped, head broad, depressed, with well developed barbell like papillae; papillae on center of top lip, but none on snout above top lip, well developed barbells under and before eye; front nostril with a large fringed flap; top lip broad, much wider at front than at sides; top jaw with a deep patch of conical teeth at front, with canines or conical teeth on sides; lower jaw with 2 rows (outer row larger) of 1-3-round pointed incisors at front, a row of curved canines along side; 1 dorsal fin, at rear, no spines, 10-12; anal fin 8-9, like dorsal fin and under it; pectoral fin 22-27, a large fleshy pad with free rear edge at base of pectoral fin, free rear edge of that pad extends above to level of upper gill membrane attachment; sucker large, with papillae at front (a broad band, 7-10 rows deep), center (2 widely spaced patches, each with 3-5 longitudinal rows of papillae) & at rear; anus usually midway between sucker and anal fin origin, but may be nearer either of those; no scales; lateral line present as pores on head only.
Head and body with many short dark streaks; ~12 lines radiating from above, behind and below eye; dorsal, anal and tail fins dark, more so nearer edges, outer margins pale.
Reaches 5.4 cm.
Habitat: rocky intertidal and red mangroves in brackish water.
Depth range: 0-1 m.
The NW and SE Caribbean; Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Estuary
- Mangrove
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Mobile benthic worms
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent only
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 5.4
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 1