Species: Acyrtus lanthanum, Orange-spotted Clingfish

Acyrtus lanthanum Conway, Baldwin & White, 2014

Orange-spotted Clingfish

Head relatively short (40-43% SL) ; top lip broad, much wider at front that at side; nostrils distinctly tubular; front nostril with a flap, usually with 2 tips; top jaw with a row of 4-7 blunt to weakly 3-pointed incisors at front, one row of 6-8 small, equal-sized conical teeth at side; teeth on lower jaw a row of 8-9 blunt to weakly 3-pointed incisors at front, one row of 5-6 small, equal-sized conical teeth at side; lower corner of opercle with a small, ungrooved spine, without associated patch of granular tissue at its base; sucker disc large (length 31-39% SL), large C-shaped band of papillae at front (in 7-8 rows), without 2 small C-shaped patches of papillae at sides immediately behind that front band, center with 2 oval patches of 3-4 rows of papillae and rear with a large band of papillae (10-11 rows), front papillae of that band not enlarged; median fins short; 1 dorsal fin, at rear, no spines, 8-9; anal fin 7-8, like dorsal fin and under it; pectoral rays 24-25, lower 5-7 rays not markedly reduced in size; fleshy pad on lower pectoral base absent; tail rays 10; female with a large patch of small fleshy projections just before anus; anus slightly closer to sucker than to anal fin origin; no scales; lateral line present as pores on head only.

Head and front of body to level of pectoral fins grey to brown; iris dark blue to black, with golden or dark red inner ring; head with dark blown blotches on sides, top and sides with small blue dots; rear body whitish, with scattered, irregularly arranged small brown spots and streaks, and with 3 brown bars from top to bottom of body: the 1st just behind pectorals, the 2nd between front of dorsal and anal fins, and the 3rdh at base of tail fin; dorsal, caudal and anal fins with bars formed by rows of red-brown spots on fin rays.

Reaches 3.4 cm.

Occurs in coastal lagoons on coral rubble.

Depth range 0-9 m.

The Bahamas to the southernl Caribbean.