Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Species: Chaunax pictus, Pink Frogmouth, Pink Gaper, Uniform Gaper

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cavity of lure black, strongly concave
lure: front black, rear white/translucent
pectoral 13-14

Chaunax pictus Lowe, 1846

Uniform Gaper, Pink Gaper, Pink Frogmouth

Body rounded, slightly compressed, tapering to a small, rounded tail; head large, globular, cuboid; eyes high on side of head, covered with a clear skin window; mouth large, strongly oblique to ~vertical; teeth small, slender, sharp; gill opening small; dorsal fin in 2 parts: 1st is a single spine modified as an angling lure in a scaleless, oval depression on snout, lure is a short stalk with a dense cluster of short threads like a short mop,2nd & 3rd spines not externally visible, snout cavity strongly concave; soft dorsal on rear of body, 10-12; anal fin 0, 7 (6-7); pectorals behind mid-body, 13-14 (12-15); skin very loose, flaccid, covered with minute spine-like denticles, those fine and densely packed; single open lateral line from base of tail fin to head, there with prominent canals, & connections to branches under eye, to chin along lower side of body to over pectorals, main part on upper body with 29-42 pores, continues with 11 (10-13) on head.

Head & body rosy red to orange red, back may have yellow spots, belly and fins darker red; snout cavity for lure dark brown or black; lure with pale orange stalk & thread cluster blue-black at front, white behind.

Reaches 40 cm

On soft and hard bottoms

Depth range 200-1183 m

Atlantic and Indo-west Pacific; New York to the Amazon


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore
  • Offshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Mud
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Insular primarily
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 40
Depth Range Min
  • 200
Depth Range Max
  • 1183