Opsanus beta (Goode & Bean, 1880)
Gulf toadfish
photo by Reid, R.

Family:  Batrachoididae (Toadfishes), subfamily: Batrachoidinae
Max. size:  33 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Florida (USA), Little Bahama Bank (Bahamas) and the entire Gulf of Mexico to Campeche, Mexico (Ref. 7251). Range extended to Brazil (Ref. 94035).
Diagnosis:  Dark brown bars on caudal and pectoral fins; bars on pectoral fin irregularly joined (Ref. 26938).
Biology:  Commonly found in seagrass beds and rocky cuts in coastal bays and lagoons, and in shallows along open coast. In western coast of Florida, adults spawn in February and March (Ref. 26938). Nesting males produce grunt calls called the boatwhistle as advertisement of competition among males and to attract females (Ref. 45338). Neither opercular nor dorsal gland is venomous (Ref. 57406).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 23 November 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  reports of ciguatera poisoning


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