About Lepadogaster lepadogaster (Bonnaterre, 1788)
The shore clingfish, Lepadogaster lepadogaster, is a clingfish species in the family Gobiesocidae. This species is found in the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent eastern Atlantic Ocean, stretching north to Galicia, Spain. Its full distribution ranges along the eastern Atlantic from Galicia, Spain to the Mediterranean, occurring between latitudes 43.8° N and 30° N. It most often inhabits underwater boulder fields made up of smooth rocks and large pebbles. This fish reaches a maximum length of 65 mm, and is classified as a cryptobenthic fish. The term cryptobenthic means the fish is both behaviorally and visually cryptic, and it is primarily used to describe adult fish of around 5 cm in length. The species gets its common name "clingfish" from its ability to attach itself to the rock walls of the ocean shore. It achieves this with pelvic fins that have adapted to form suckers, which hold the fish strongly anchored to rocky shore surfaces. In addition to these suckers, its front fins are much stronger to help it cling to rocks. It has other adaptations for living on rocky surfaces and avoiding predation. It has a triangular shaped head and a flattened body, which reduce the drag created by the push and pull of wave water against the fish. Lepadogaster lepadogaster has clear differences from other species in the genus Lepadogaster. It has a much more active lifestyle than the species Lepadogaster purpurea, which can be seen in both its faster swimming speed and its more frequent feeding periods. The shore clingfish survives on a diet consisting mostly of detritus, meaning it feeds on dead organic matter from its environment.
