Species: Kathetostoma averruncus, Smooth stargazer
Kathetostoma averruncus Jordan & Bollmann, 1890
Smooth stargazer
Body short, thick, tapering to rear; head large, square, top horizontal, some of bones with spines; eye large, on top of head; mouth large, vertical, lips with fringe of papillae; chin without converging bony ridges; preopercle with 3 spines on its lower corner; a large venomous spine at upper edge of operculum; dorsal fin without spines; anal fin without spines; no scales.
Black, greenish-brown to grey above, paler below; tips of opercular spines yellowish; white dots on head, eye-sized white spots and blotches on body, and on dorsal, tail and pectoral fins; tail and pectoral fins with white borders.
Size: 32 cm.
Habitat: benthic on soft bottoms.
Depth: 15-600 m.
California to the mouth of the Gulf of California to Peru, and the Galapagos.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
-
- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bathydemersal
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- East Pacific endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- TEP endemic
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 32
- Depth Range Min
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- 15
- Depth Range Max
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- 600
