Species: Gillichthys mirabilis, Long-jawed mud-sucker
eyes look to side
flank - row dark blotches
body: lower 1/3 pale
D2 I, 11-12; A I, 10-11
Gillichthys mirabilis Cooper, 1864
Long-jawed mud-sucker
Moderately elongate, body compressed; head large (> 25% TL) broad, flattened, upper head profile convex; snout pointed; sensory papillae on head small, crowded, númerous; eyes small, far apart, on upper side of head, directed to side; jaws very long - lower extends ½ way to gill opening, upper to pectoral fin; preopercle covered with skin; teeth small, conical, 4-5 rows on each jaw; first dorsal fin low and rounded, VI (IV-VIII) spines; 2nd dorsal fin I, 11-12; anal fin with short base, I, 10-11; pectoral broad, rounded, usually 21 or fewer rays, top rays not partly free from fin; pelvics form disc, membrane between pelvic fin spines without side lobes; tail rounded; scales small (~ 90 rows along side), imbedded, rough in juveniles, mainly smooth in adults; scaled space between dorsal fins 1/3 or less than length of 1st dorsal fin base; top of nape with narrow strip of non-overlapping imbedded scales; skin covered with thick mucous.
Brown to blue-black, mottled above, yellowish below; lower ½-1/3 of body usually pale; diffuse dark stripe along cheek, dark blotch on operculum; a row of dark blotches mid-laterally from operculum to tail base; soft dorsal fine oblique bars, other fins unmarked. Juveniles - 8 bars on body, black blotch at rear of first dorsal fin, pale bar across tail base, sometimes a dark spot behind that.
Size: 21 cm.
Habitat: burrows in shallow mud bottoms in tidal flats and bays, coastal lagoons.
Depth: 0-5 m.
California to central Baja and the upper and central Gulf of California.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Non Marine
- Brackish
- Freshwater
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Freshwater
- Sand & gravel
- Estuary
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Mud
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
-
- No Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Mobile benthic worms
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Benthic
- Global Endemism
-
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- TEP non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- California province, primarily
- All species
- Continent only
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
- Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily
- Continent
- Residency
-
- Vagrant
- Climate Zone
-
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 21
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 5
