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Species: Citharichthys valdezi, Venezuelan Whiff

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

body deep
between eyes: narrow + bony crest
D 78-86; A 60-66
lower head profile angular
gill rakers 3-5 + 7-9
LL straight, 42-45

Citharichthys valdezi Cervigón, 1986

Venezuelan Whiff

Body moderately deep (45-50% of SL); eyes on left side, close-set, only a narrow bony crest between them; lower head profile angular; mouth large, ends under lower eye; teeth ~equally developed on both sides of jaws, fixed teeth in 1 series on each jaw, no canines; gill rakers mainly long and slender, 3-5+ 7-9, upper rakers very short; edge of operculum on blind side without cirri; 78-86 dorsal fin rays, origin of fin before upper eye; anal fin 60-66 rays; pectoral fin on both sides of body, with branched rays, 1st ray small, <1/2 length of 2nd; pelvic fins symmetrically positioned on belly, base of eye-side fin on body midline, short bases; urinary papilla on blind side, immediately behind anus; lateral line well developed on both sides, eye-side line ~straight, from edge of opercle to tail base, no branch under lower eye; scales large, rough on both sides, 42-45 on lateral line.

Preserved fish: brown above, white below.

Reaches 8.4 cm.

Lives on soft bottoms.

Depth range: 1-75 m.

Panama to Venezuela.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mud
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Caribbean endemic
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • GC endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 8.4
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 75