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Photo copyright Anita Floyd.
Splendid Toadfish, Sanopus splendidus
Taken in Cozumel with a Sea and Sea DX3000, using a YS-90 slave strobe.
A diver coaxed this toadfish out from its den, and it swam
approximately 100 yards before finally finding a suitable coral head to
duck under.
Toadfish are found on the sand and mud bottoms of coastal
waters worldwide. They usually have broad heads and drab
colours, and look something like toads. The Splendid
Toadfish, though, is different.
As you can see in the photo the
Splendid Toadfish is attractively patterned in purple.
Most of its fins are edged in yellow with the pelvic fin
being entirely yellow. It also has a yellow mouth.
Also known as the Coral Toadfish, Sanopus splendidus
generally lives on sand under crevices or coral heads
in clear water, 10-25 m. It hunts at night, preying on
small fishes, snails and polychaete worms.
The Splendid Toadfish was thought to be only found in
Cozumel (Mexico) but sightings have also been reported
in Belize. However, it is not widespread and is
classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species (www.iucnredlist.org). This means
that although it is not Critically Endangered or
Endangered it is facing a high risk of extinction
in the wild in the medium-term future.
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