Gulf sanddab

Gulf sanddab
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Pleuronectiformes
Family:	Paralichthyidae
Genus:	Citharichthys
Species:	C. fragilis
Binomial name
Citharichthys fragilis (Gilbert, 1890)

The Gulf sanddab (Citharichthys fragilis) is a species of sanddab in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the coast of Manhattan Beach, California in the north to the Gulf of California in the south.

It is a demersal marine fish that lives in tropical waters, inhabiting sandy bottoms at depths between 18 and 347 metres (59 and 1,138 ft). Like the rest of the large-tooth flounders, it has both eyes on the left side of its head. It is small fish, growing to around 10 centimetres (3.9 in). It is brownish in colour, both the body and fins are mottled with darker patches. Its underside is a pale colour.

It is a game fish of minor commercial importance.

The Gulf sanddab preys on crustaceans, benthic worms and small bony fishes.

References

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2009). "Citharichthys fragilis" in FishBase. September 2009 version.