Species: Hiatirhaphis cascajalensis, Cascajal Mosquitofish

A base: black blotch
Hiatirhaphis cascajalensis (Meek & Hildebrand, 1913)
Cascajal Mosquitofish
Head and body moderately robust, moderately compressed at rear; head depressed; front nostril not tubular; covering of eye not continuous with skin of head; mouth small, at front, slightly oblique, lower jaw slightly projecting, top jaw protractile; jaw teeth consist of an outer row of large backward curved teeth, and several rows of small pointed teeth; 12 gill rakers; 1 dorsal fin with short base, 7, at rear of body; anal fin 9, origin distinctly before dorsal fin origin; pelvic origin well behind pectoral base, near anal fin, tips of pelvics of males not swollen; pectorals high on flank, male with 5th ray not scalloped; 3rd anal ray unbranched; anal fin modified in male to form an elongate sex organ, tip of that organ curved slightly upwards, without club-like spines at tip, without a fleshy palp; tail base relatively narrow; tail fin rounded; scales smooth and relatively large, 26 in lateral series, 13 before dorsal fin.
Pale brown above, lighter below; operculum silvery, with a bluish tint; iris pale blue-green; dorsal and tail fins translucent; pelvic fins yellowish; anal fin of female and sex organ of male yellowish, with a large black blotch at the base; tip of dorsal fin black; a broad curved dark bar (often indistinct) at base of tail fin.
Reaches 7.5 cm.
Mainly in freshwater, but also occurs in brackish water.
Depth range: 0-2 m.
Costa Rica to Panama.

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- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Freshwater
- Non Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Estuary
- Freshwater
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Insects
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Live birth
- No pelagic larva
- No pelagic phase
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Caribbean endemic
- Continent
- Continent only
- GC endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- 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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- 7.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 2