Species: Dactyloscopus tridigitatus, Sand Stargazer

Dactyloscopus tridigitatus Gill, 1859
Sand Stargazer
Body compressed, tapering to tail; head large, flattened above, rounded and narrow at front; rear nostril a single pore next to base of tubular front nostril; eyes on top of head, small, with long slender stalks, stalks >eye diameter; mouth upturned, with a protruding lower jaw, top jaw reaching past eye, tip of lower jaw pointed when viewed from above; both lips with skin flaps, usually 13-17 on top lip; operculum with 10-16 skin flaps; canal pores on preoperculum 4-11; dorsal fin origin on nape, before level of upper corner of operculum, fin usually discontinuous, XI-XII (X-XIII), 1st 3-4 spines separate and free, 28 (26-31) rays; segmented anal rays II, 32 (30-34); pelvic fins inserted under throat, each with I, 3, rays thickened and free at the tips; a distinct notch under lower edge of tail fin base; lateral line continuous, bends down under last dorsal spine; scales large, smooth, head and belly scaleless; 45-46 (43-47) pored scales; 2-3 rows of scales between lateral line and 1st two dorsal spines, 1.5-2 rows under rest of spines.
Tan to pale, body blotched and mottled with tan and white marks; salmon streaks behind eye, salmon on top of head and chin, and along midline of body; body sometimes with 11-14 brown bars between nape and tail base; pectoral white; tail may have several faint brown bars.
Reaches 8.5 cm.
Lives in sand bottoms, often in surge zone.
Depth range: 0-29 m, usually < 2.5 m.
Bermuda to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Beach
- 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)
- Egg Type
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- Brooded
- 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 + Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- 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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- 8.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 29