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Species: Microdesmus suttkusi, Spotside wormfish

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eye not tiny, at side
D base -spots
flank: row spots behind eye stripe
lower lips - side pouches

Microdesmus suttkusi Gilbert, 1966

Spotside wormfish

Slender, wormlike, body height 4-8% of SL; tail (without fin) < 50% of SL; eyes not tiny, on side of head, not skin covered; snout rounded; lower lips with pouches on sides that receive top lips and snout when mouth is closed; teeth in 3 rows; gill opening large (not tubular), ~ base of pectoral; dorsal fin spines evenly spaced, XXVIII, 42 (68-70 elements), origin over pectoral; anal II 32-35; pectoral 13 rays, fin short; pelvics I, 3, shorter than pectorals; tail fin rounded; dorsal and anal fins confluent with tail fin; scales small, non-overlapping, well separated.

Two oblique dark bars under eye; irregular dark blotches on cheek and opercle; a dark stripe from the rear of the eye joins a row of round to diagonal spots running along mid-flank for 2/3 the length of the dorsal and anal fins, 34-37 spots between head and origin of anal fin, spots becoming more crescentic rearwards; a row of asymmetrically placed oblong spots on each side of the dorsal fin; fin membranes clear.

Size: 12.5 cm.

Habitat: rocky shores.

Depth: 0-5 m.

SW Gulf of California to Colombia.


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Salinity
  • Non Marine
  • Brackish
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Estuary
  • Mangrove
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • No Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
  • Benthic
Global Endemism
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • All species
  • East Pacific endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • TEP endemic
  • All species
  • 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic
  • Continental TEP endemic
  • Continent only
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
IUCN Red List
  • Data deficient
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 12.5
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 5