Species: Rypticus randalli, Randall's Soapfish

Rypticus randalli Courtenay, 1967

Randall's Soapfish

Body elongate, very compressed; forehead oblique; snout short, 5-6% SL; 2 pairs of nostrils, anterior tubular; lower jaw projecting; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; no knob at front of chin; pores on lower jaw & preopercle few, large, single; simple teeth in bands on jaws; 1-3 spines on preopercle; 2 (2-3) spines on operculum; gill opening restricted above, most of upper part of operculum bound to body by skin; gill rakers 7-11; dorsal fin II-III (usually II), 23-25; anal fin 0, 14-16; pectoral rays 14-17; median fins thick, fleshy; rounded tail and pectoral fins; scales imbedded.

Head and body brown, with blue-grey cast, paler below; small fish with a cream stripe along midline from tip of mouth to last dorsal fin spine.

Size: to 21.5 cm.

Inhabits silty rocky areas and soft bottoms, from areas of reduced salinity to hypersaline lagoons.

Depth: 0-52 m.

The Caribbean and southern Bahamas to southern Brazil.