The lizard triplefin, ''Crocodilichthys gracilis'', is a fish of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Tripterygiidae and only member of the genus ''Crocodilichthys'', found in the

Gulf of California The Gulf of California (), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Vermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja California peninsula from ...

in the

Tropical Eastern Pacific The Tropical Eastern Pacific is one of the twelve marine realms that cover the coastal waters and continental shelves of the world's oceans. The Tropical Eastern Pacific extends along the Pacific Coast of the Americas, from the southern tip of th ...

at depths down to 38 m. Its length is only up to about 64 mm. In some regions of the Gulf of California, such as

Bahía de los Ángeles is a coastal bay on the Gulf of California, located along the eastern shore of the Baja California Peninsula in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The town of the same name is located at the east end of Federal Highway 12 about 42 miles (68& ...

, this species is closely associated with microhabitats formed by the coral ''

Porites panamensis ''Porites'' is a genus of stony coral; they are small polyp stony (SPS) corals. (Also referred to as finger coral or hump coral) They are characterised by a finger-like morphology. Members of this genus have widely spaced calices, a well-devel ...

'', where it can reach average densities of up to 9 individuals per square meter. The body of ''Crocodilichthys gracilis'' is pale tan or pinkish, with a dark snout and an iris marked by red and black bars. It features approximately three longitudinal rows of double red-brown spots, with the lowest row separated by white dashes along the midline. A prominent black band, with a white anterior border, encircles the base of the tail and extends onto the fin. The outer part of the tail fin is red, while the central portion is cream-colored.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1886681 Tripterygiidae Fish of the Gulf of California Fish described in 1991