| Identification:
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.
This very small fish (max size 40 mm) is found in the shallow seas
and between the tides in the south and west of Britain. It is under-recorded
and only receives the attention of 'rockpoolers'.
It is the most widespread of 4 species of clingfish in the family Gobiesocidae
found in British seas. It was recently known as Apletodon microcephalus.
This specimen was captured and photographed by Robert Jones (of Trowbridge)
from the shore at Dorset. Young specimens have been caught by John Barker
and Andy Horton off Sussex. This species has been
confused with Diplogaster bimaculata, the Two-spotted Clingfish.
Information wanted: Please send any records of this fish, with
location, date, who discovered it, how it was identified, prevalence, common
name and any other details to Shorewatch
Project EMail Glaucus@hotmail.com.
All messages will receive a reply.
 Reports:
11
September 2002
The
tide receded beyond the pier on Worthing beach
which was rather scantily inhabited by mobile fauna of interest to the
rockpooler.
However, of special interest was the discovery of a young Small-headed
Clingfish,
Apletodon dentatus in
a shallow weedy pool south of the pier.
4 November
2002
Rockpooling
under Worthing Pier
It
is getting dark as the tide reached its lowest point. When I delved around
in the bucket at home a Small-headed Clingfish,
Apletodon
dentatus, stuck to my hand.
Clingfish
on bryozoans
The
clingfish is about 10 mm long
19
March 2003
The
low equinoctial
spring
tide
receded as far as I have known it uncovering all the rocks on Lancing
Beach. It was too dark to explore the exposed shore properly, but juvenile
Small-headed
Clingfish (probable ident.) were present
under rocks.
The
container containing the Clingfish was inverted and the pelvic sucker kept
the fish in place
Notes on other species:
Hi,
one of my former students, Robert Hofrichter,
has done a lot of work on
gobiesocids (clingfish) in the Mediterranean
and also some in the northern
Atlantic (Brittany, France).
We have published some papers, some others are
in preparation as well as a
web page on Mediterranean clingfish.
Concerning L.
candollei: this species has a well developed sexual
dimorphism. Males have strong red spots - mainly
during spawning - on the
cheeks and on dorsal fins, females no or only
very weak ones. If you need
more informations please contact Robert Hofrichter:
robhof@salzburg.co.at
Publications:
Hofrichter R., Breining T., Patzner R.A., 2000:
Habitat selection and
feeding ecology of two Atlantic clingfish species,
Apletodon
dentatus and
Diplecogaster bimaculata
at Brittany, France. Z. Fischkunde 5: 71-81.
Hofrichter R., Patzner R.A., 1997: A new species
of Apletodon from the
Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic with
notes on the
differentiation between Apletodon- and
Diplecogaster-species
(Pisces:
Teleostei: Gobiesociformes: Gobiesocidae). Senckenbergiana
biologica 77 (1)
15-22.
Hofrichter R., Patzner R.A., 2000: Habitat and
microhabitat of
Mediterranean clingfishes (Teleostei: Gobiesociformes:
Gobiesocidae).
P.S.Z.N. Mar. Biol.21: 41-53.
Hofrichter R., Patzner, R.A., 1996: Die Schildfische
des Mittelmeeres. 1.
Arten in Block- und Geröllfeldern. Das Aquarium
327: 30-35.
Hofrichter R., Patzner, R.A., 1996: Die Schildfische
des Mittelmeeres. 2.
Arten in Seegraswiesen und anderen Lebensräumen.
Das Aquarium 329: 40-44.
Hofrichter R., Patzner, R.A.: Schildfische des
Mittelmeeres im Aquarium.
DATZ 48: 1993, 288-290.
PATZNER R.A., HOFRICHTER R.: Schildfische in
den Seegraswiesen des
Mittelmeeres. DATZ 46: 1993, 440-443.
With best wishes
Robert
Patzner
Lepadogaster candollei
Lepadogaster
candollei Risso, 1810 Connemara Clingfish.
Photograph
by David Fenwick Snr. (Aptofauna)
Moderately
rare on north European coasts.
Fishbase entry
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=640&genusname=Lepadogaster&speciesname=candollei
Photograph:
http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/PicturesSummary.cfm?StartRow=1&ID=640&what=species
Lepadogaster lepadogaster
Lepadogaster
lepadogaster (Bonnaterre, 1788) Shore Clingfish, Cornish Sucker.
Photograph
by David Fenwick Snr. (Aptofauna)
Lepadogaster
lepadogaster purpurea is the area subspecies.
Photograph
British
Clingfish
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