Species: Myxodagnus belone, Dartfish stargazer, the dartfish
eyes not stalked
both lips - skin flaps
Myxodagnus belone Bohlke, 1968
Dartfish
Body long and slender, tapering to tail; head a pointed cone; eyes on top of head, not on stalks; tubular nostrils; mouth upturned, with a long, pointed, strongly projecting lower jaw; both lips with a fringe of skin flaps; dorsal fin continuous, origin well behind nape, ~above anal fin origin, VIII-IX; pectoral fin long; pelvic fins inserted under throat, each with I, 3, rays thickened and free at the tips; lateral line continuous, bends abruptly down below 6-8th dorsal spines; scales large, smooth; head and belly scaleless.
Translucent, almost colorless; top of head yellowish; flecks of brown on edges of scales on upper back; 5-6 diffuse blotches along base of anal fin; a faint spot in center of tail fin base.
Reaches 6.3 cm.
Lives in sheltered sand bottoms.
Depth range: 0-4 m.
Bahamas to Puerto Rico.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC endemic
- Island (s)
- All species..
- Island (s) only
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Data deficient
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 6.3
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 4
