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Species: Dactyloscopus elongatus, Slender stargazer

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

eyes on stalks, +/- tiny papillae
mouth pigmented
head & body speckled
C: short, some rays branched
chin projects
lip skin flaps: ~15 above, ~ 28 below
lot scales over LL arch
D ~XIII, 34; A ~39
no notch under tail base

Dactyloscopus elongatus Myers & Wade, 1946

Slender stargazer

Body compressed, tapering to tail; head large, flattened above, rounded and narrow at front; eyes protrusible, on stalks, with papillae (those tiny to rudimentary); tubular nostrils, rear nostril opens near base of front nostril; lower jaw projecting well beyond lower lips; both lips with skin flaps, 15 (13-17) above, 28 (22-32) below; operculum with 14 (9-19) skin flaps; dorsal fin origin on nape, before level of upper corner of operculum, front IV (II-V) spines separate from fin and without membranes, XIII (XII-XIV), 34 (33-36); anal II, 39 (38-41); pectoral usually 13 rays; no notch under tail base; dorsal and anal fins not joined by membranes to base of tail fin; tail fin short (~9.9% of SL) with some branched rays; lateral line continuous, bends down under last dorsal spine; scales smooth, head and belly scaleless; lateral line scales 53 (51-54); scales in several rows (5-6 rows at front) above all of lateral line arch.

Inside mouth pigmented; snout, top of head, and nape with dark network; upper body with dark scale edges, lower body with dark speckling; dorsal and anal lightly shaded with brown; tail fin may have narrow dark bar on its base. Small fish with dark saddles along top of back, 3 dark stripes, dark spot on tail fin base.

Size: 9.7 cm.

Habitat: coastal sandy areas and estuaries.

Depth: 1-20 m.

Southern Baja and the lower Gulf of California to Central Mexico.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Beach
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom only
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • No Data
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
  • Benthic
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continental TEP endemic
  • Continent only
  • Continent
  • Cortez + Mexican provinces endemic
  • TEP endemic
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 9.7
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 20