Common Name
Whitelined Toadfish
Year Described
Collette, 1983
Identification
Dorsal Fin: III, 30-32
Anal Fin: 24-25
Pectoral Fin: 22
Pelvic Fin: I, 2-3
Vertebrae: 11-12 precaudal, 26-27 caudal
Lateral Line: 36-40 upper, 30-33 lower
Head flattened. No plumose tentacle above eye. Axillary pore present behind pectoral fin. No cirri between eyes. Barbels around mouth unbranched. Pectoral glands absent.
Color
Body dark brown to almost black. Belly paler. Head covered in white lines radiating from eyes and crossing the top of the head. Stripes break up into spots posteriorly, which are scattered over the rest of the rear body and fins. Lateral line marked by white spots. Median fins edged in white.
Size
Maximum size to 280mm TL.
Habitat
Benthic on coral reefs. Inhabits sand caves under coral.
Range
Western Caribbean: known only from Belize (Carrie Bow Cay)
References
Collette, B.B. 1983. Two new species of coral toadfishes, family Batrachoididae, genus Sanopus, from Yucatan, Mexico, and Belize. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington v. 96 (no. 4): 719-724.