Small-headed Clingfish

 

Fact File: Common Name(s):  Small-headed Clingfish  Scientific Name: Apleton dentatus  (=A.microcephalus)  Family:  Gobiesocidae  Usual Size: 40 mm

 

Identification: A very small flattened fish with a triangular head. A single dorsal fin at the rear of the body opposite the anal fin. Pelvic fins fused into a suction cup. Variable bright colours, often an olive green with a white band across the head when looking down from above and a stripe through the eye.  Similar species:  Two-spotted Clingfish, Diplecogaster bimaculata has a broader head.  Breeding: Spring  Habitat: Kelp holdfasts.  Food: Small crustaceans (probably)  Range: South and west of the British Isles. No BMLSS records from the east coast.  Additional Notes: Inadequately recorded with records of the Two-spotted Clingfish prior to 1971 may be this fish. Probably quite common throughout its range but easily overlooked because of its small size.  Additional Link:  http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/BMLSS/rockpol1.htm

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