Species: Dactyloscopus lunaticus, Moonstruck sand-stargazer
Dactyloscopus lunaticus Gilbert, 1890
Moonstruck sand-stargazer
Body compressed, tapering to tail; head large, flattened above, rounded and narrow at front; eyes protrusible, on stalks, with 1 to several papillae; tubular nostrils, rear nostril opens near base of front nostril; both lips with skin flaps (usually unbranched), 15 (11-18) above, 24 (18-29) below; edge of operculum with 18 (10-24) skin flaps; dorsal fin origin on nape, before level of upper corner of operculum, front III (0-IV) spines separate from fin and without membranes, XII (X-XIII), 29 (27-31); anal II, 33 (31-35); pectoral usually 13 rays; no notch under end of tail base; tail fin short (< 12% of SL), most rays branched; lateral line scales 46 (45-47); lateral line continuous, bends down under last dorsal spine; scales smooth, head and belly scaleless; several rows of cales above front part of lateral line .
Head irregularly spotted & flecked with brown; inside mouth pigmented; 12-15 very short narrow dark bars across upper back, pale interspaces wider than dark bars, often with brown marks; sides extensively flecked, with 1-2 indistinct lateral stripes; fins pale.
Size: 8.5 cm
Habitat: coastal sandy areas and tide pools.
Depth: 5-138 m.
Southern Baja and the Gulf of California to Ecuador.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
-
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
-
- No Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- No Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic worms
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Benthic
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continent only
- 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic
- All species
- TEP endemic
- Continental TEP endemic
- Continent
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 8.5
- Depth Range Min
-
- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 138
