Biology ⁶

Occurs in shallow water down to 50 m depth, over sandy and rocky bottoms, but more commonly in grass beds (Ref. 3790). Often seen moving head down among seagrass blades (Ref. 9710). The young are often associated with floating Sargassum (Ref. 3720). Feeds on plants and algae, and also on small crustaceans (Ref. 3720). Rarely consumed (Ref. 3790).

Distribution ⁷

Newfoundland, Bermuda and northern Gulf of Mexico to Argentina

Morphology ⁸

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 29 - 37; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 28 - 36

Size ⁹

Maximum size: 200 mm TL

Diagnostic description ¹⁰

Snout prominently projecting but not very elongate; first dorsal spine originating above posterior part of eye; adult males with two pairs of enlarged recurved spines on each side of caudal peduncle; spines of females only slightly larger than other scale spinules of caudal peduncle (Ref. 13442).

Habitat ¹¹

benthic

Diet ¹²

Feeds on plants, algae and small crustaceans

Reproduction ¹³

no information.

Link to Access Genomic Data ¹⁴

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=303715&lvl=0

Sources and Credits

1. (c) WorldFish Center - FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://d1iraxgbwuhpbw.cloudfront.net/images/species/mocil_u2.jpg
2. (c) Brandi Noble, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://d1iraxgbwuhpbw.cloudfront.net/images/species/mocil_u1.jpg
3. (c) Kevin Bryant, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8103761637_cf10dd90a2_o.jpg
4. (c) Kevin Bryant, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8103781092_d1625958a6_o.jpg
5. (c) AquaMaps, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.aquamaps.org/imagethumb/cached_maps/2050/pic_Fis-24788.jpg
6. (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/21009629
7. (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28472413
8. (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/21009631
9. (c) FishWise Professional, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/24180867
10. (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/21009630
11. (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28476144
12. (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28476823
13. (c) Gulf of Maine - CoML, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/8081275
14. (c) matbio, all rights reserved

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• FishBase
• FishSource
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet
• World Register of Marine Species

Range Map

(c) AquaMaps, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

iNat Map