Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Species: Microdesmus carri, Stippled wormfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

top back: dark stripe; all A base dark
D XXIV-XXVII, 41-42, origin before pectoral tip
A 34-40, origin under D elements 33-38
D & A join round C
gill opening large, not tubular
pectoral 13
scales well separated, cover top 2/3 body

Microdesmus carri Gilbert, 1966

Stippled wormfish

Slender, wormlike, body height 5-9% of SL; small conspicuous eyes on side of head; snout moderately blunt; interorbital about ½ eye diameter; front nostril a widely flared tube, rear a pore with raised rim; mouth strongly oblique, lower jaw heavy, protruding, strongly rounded; teeth in 2 rows, conical; tongue rounded; gill opening large (not tubular); one, long based continuous dorsal fin, XXIV-XXVII, 41-42, its origin before pectoral tip; anal fin 0, 34-40, origin under dorsal elements 33-38; dorsal and anal fins connected to tail fin; pectoral fins 13; pelvic fins minute, I, 3 rays, rays unbranched; tail fin rounded; scales minute, well separated, embedded, numerous, covering upper 2/3 of body; few scales on head; no lateral line.

Translucent, heavily stippled with small spots, especially along the top; belly white; 3 dark lines radiating from eye; a dark stripe along top of back; pigment along entire base of anal fin, and bases of last 5 dorsal rays.

Reaches: 5.9 cm.

Habitat: low to moderately saline lagoons on muddy and sandy bottoms.

Depth: 0-40 m.

SW Gulf of Mexico to the SW Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Non Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Mud
  • Estuary
  • Soft bottom only
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Benthic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • GC endemic
  • Continent
  • All species..
  • Continent only
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 5.9
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 40