Gobiesocidae

Clingfishes
Aspasmichthys ciconiae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Clade: Percomorpha
(unranked): Ovalentaria
Order: Gobiesociformes
Family: Gobiesocidae
Bleeker, 1860
Type species
Gobiesox cephalus
Lacépède, 1800

Clingfishes are fishes of the family Gobiesocidae, the only family in the order Gobiesociformes. These fairly small to very small fishes are widespread in tropical and temperate regions, mostly near the coast, but a few species live in deeper seas or fresh water. Most species shelter in shallow reefs or seagrass beds, clinging to rocks, algae and seagrass leaves with their sucking disc, a structure on their chest.[1][2]

They are generally too small to be of interest to fisheries, although the relatively large Sicyases sanguineus regularly is caught as a food fish,[3] and some of the other species occasionally appear in the marine aquarium trade.[1]

  1. ^ a b Bray, Dianne. "Family GOBIESOCIDAE". Fishes of Australia. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  2. ^ Donaldson, T.J. (2004). "Gobiesocoidei (Clingfishes And Singleslits)". encyclopedia.com. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  3. ^ Paine, R.T.; A.R. Palmer (1978). "Sicyases sanguineus: a Unique Trophic Generalist from the Chilean Intertidal Zone". Copeia. 1978 (1): 75–81. doi:10.2307/1443824. JSTOR 1443824.