Animalia Life
Chorisochismus dentex
FAMILY
Gobiesocidae
TAXONOMY
Chorisochismus dentex Pallas, 1769, type locality not specified.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Large, tadpole-like body with a very broad head. There are
7–9 dorsal fin soft rays, 6–7 anal fin soft rays, 21–24 pectoral
fin soft rays, and 8–10 caudal fin rays. The teeth are large and
conical in shape. Perhaps the largest of all clingfishes, this
species reaches 11.8 in (30 cm) in length.
DISTRIBUTION
Southeast Atlantic, from Namibia south to northern Natal in
South Africa.
HABITAT
Tide pools and rocks and boulders in the intertidal zone.
BEHAVIOR
Poorly known. Males likely are territorial. Owing to its large
size, rocksuckers are probably more mobile than other demersal
clingfishes.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
A carnivore that preys upon limpets and sea urchins. This
species uses its large upper incisiform teeth to pry limpets off
rocks. The undigested shell fragments are passed through the
gut and emerge in mucous capsules.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Poorly known. Females probably lay demersal eggs in a male’s
territory, and the male performs parental care. The larvae are
probably planktonic.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
May be collected infrequently for aquaria.
Photo Gallery of - Rocksucker
