Citharichthys fragilis
Citharichthys fragilis, the Gulf sanddab, is a species of sanddab in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the coast of Manhattan Beach, California in the north to the Gulf of California in the south.
| Citharichthys fragilis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Pleuronectiformes |
| Family: | Paralichthyidae |
| Genus: | Citharichthys |
| Species: | C. fragilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Citharichthys fragilis C. H. Gilbert, 1890 | |
This demersal marine fish lives in tropical waters, inhabiting sandy bottoms at depths between 18 and 347 m (59 and 1,138 ft). Like the rest of the large-tooth flounders, it has both eyes on the left side of its head. It is a small fish, growing to around 10 cm (3.9 in). It is brownish in colour, both the body and fins are mottled with darker patches. Its underside is a pale colour.
It is a game fish of minor commercial importance.
Citharichthys fragilis preys on crustaceans, benthic worms, and small bony fishes.
References
- van der Heiden, A. (2010). "Citharichthys fragilis". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T184042A8227106. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T184042A8227106.en. Downloaded on 20 March 2018.
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2009). "Citharichthys fragilis" in FishBase. September 2009 version.