Halobatrachus didactylus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Lusitanian toadfish
photo by Wirtz, P.

Family:  Batrachoididae (Toadfishes), subfamily: Halophryninae
Max. size:  50 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 10 - 50 m
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic: southern Bay of Biscay to Ghana, including the western Mediterranean. Reported from the Gambia River (Ref. 28587).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 19-21. Caudal fin rounded (Ref.5377).
Biology:  Sedentary species which occurs on soft sand or mud, often partly buried or concealed in rock crevices, solitary in shallow water. Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks and small fishes (Ref. 7405). The female lays eggs which are large enough and which are turned over to the males who guard them (Ref. 5377). A species that is not venomous (Dr. Andread Kunznmann, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), pers. communication 10/2021).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 10 July 2012 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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