Species: Ptereleotris calliura, Blue Dartfish
Ptereleotris calliura (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
Blue Dartfish
Body very elongate, compressed; head strongly compressed; mouth very oblique, opens above, lower jaw projecting, chin with longitudinal fold; dorsal fin VI + I, 22-24; anal fin I, 21; pectoral fins 20-25; pelvic fins separate, I, 4; tail fin long & pointed; scales very small, usually non-overlapping, embedded, 120-160 on mid-side, smooth with a few rough at rear, head scaleless; no lateral line.
Bluish gray head, body and tail fin, sometimes lavender; dorsal and anal fins yellowish, dorsals with a black stripe along outer edge; upper and lower margins of caudal fin may be dark.
Reaches: 12.5 cm.
Habitat: Found in burrows in with sand rubble substrate around coral reefs.
Depth: 5-82 m.
N Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.
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
- 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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- Data
- Planktivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Zooplankton
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Continental primarily
- Extends North of GC
- GC endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- 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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- 12.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 82
