Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

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Species: Cerdale paludicola, Mangrove worm-goby

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D X-XII, 30-33; A 28-32
scales - dark edges
belly - row dark dots
gill opening - narrow tube

Cerdale paludicola Dawson, 1974

Mangrove worm-goby

Body short, stubby, eel-like, body height ~ 10% of SL; tail longer than head and body; mouth strongly oblique, lower jaw projecting; top lip with a two-lobed cirrus between the front and rear nostrils; lower lip notched below front nostril; lower lip with broad fleshy expansion at rear; chin ridged on sides; 2 rows of teeth on each jaw, conical outer row, chisel-like inner row; gill opening tubular;  dorsal fin spines of equal height and spacing X-XII, 30-33, origin over or behind pectoral fin; anal rays 0, 28-32 ; pectoral rays 15; dorsal and anal fins unconnected to tail fin; scales small, close-set to slightly overlapping on head and upper body; body completely scaled except for mouth and area before rear nostril; tail fin with inner ½ scaled; a few scales on base of pelvics.

Brown to tan, paler below; top of head mottled; sometimes 3 narrow pale bars angled across operculum and cheek; scales on sides with dark margins; mid-belly with row of dark dots; front of chin dark; fins pale; pupil dark grey.

Size: 8 cm.

Habitat: mangrove swamps, including high intertidal.

Depth: 0-2 m.

Costa Rica to Ecuador.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Non Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mangrove
  • Estuary
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • No Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Zooplankton
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • All species
  • TEP endemic
  • Continent only
  • Panamic province endemic
  • Continental TEP endemic
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Data deficient
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 8
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 2