Speckled stargazer (Dactyloscopus moorei)

Scientific name: Dactyloscopus moorei Fowler, 1906

The Speckled stargazer (Dactyloscopus moorei) is a marine fish of the family Dactyloscopidae. Native range: Western Central Atlantic, North Carolina to Florida Keys and Texas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Biology

Burrows in soft sandy bottom, where it waits for prey, with only the eyes, nose and mouth protruding.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Dactyloscopus moorei
Family
Dactyloscopidae (Sand stargazers)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
8.0
Depth range
3–35 m (10–115 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; depth range 3 - 35 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Western Central Atlantic: North Carolina to Florida Keys and Texas in the Gulf of Mexico.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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