Stygnobrotula latebricola

Common Name

Black Widow Brotula

Year Described

Böhlke, 1957

Identification

Dorsal Fin: 109
Anal Fin: 92
Pectoral Fin: 21-23
Caudal Fin: 6
Vertebrae: 14 precaudal
Gill Rakers: 3-4 (developed)

Body elongate and compressed, tapering strongly to the tail. Head distinctively shaped with a rounded off short snout and lower jaw (snub-nosed). Upper jaw strongly overhanging lower. Mouth downcurved but barely reaches past posterior margin of eye. Maxilla thin. Teeth in jaws and vomer. Palatine teeth absent. Eye relatively large. Opercle without a spine. Pectoral fins large and fan-like. Pelvic fin a single filamentous ray. Dorsal and anal fins broad and tall (undulate when moving). Tail continuous. Lateral line in two parts. Scales on body and head.

Color

Body uniformly dark red-brown. Fins dark brown to black.

Size

Maximum size to 80mm SL.

Habitat

Shallow coral reefs from 2-110m. Frequently in caves.

Range

Widespread from the Bahamas to Brazil, including the Caribbean Sea.

References

Bohlke, J.E. 1957. A new shallow-water brotulid fish from the Great Bahama Bank. Not Nat (Phila), 295, 1-8.