''Lepadogaster candolii'', common name Connemarra clingfish, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of fish in the genus '' Lepadogaster''. It occurs in the Eastern Atlantic from the British Isles (off the coast of Western Scotland and South-West England and Ireland) south to Madeira and the Canary Islands and into the western Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The specific name ''candolii'' honours the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (1778-1841) and has various spellings: ''candolii'', ''candolei'', ''candollei'', and ''decandollii'', but only the first one is correct. Some workers have found that ''L. candolii'' is not closely related to the other two species in the genus '' Lepadogaster'' and have proposed the placing of this species in the revived

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus ''Mirbelia'' Canestrini, 1864, at least until more definitive taxonomic studies can be undertaken. ''L. candolii'' is considered a euryecious species, meaning that it has a broad variety of living conditions and habitats that it prefers. ''L. candolii'' most often inhabit small cavities in the underwater rock face, boulder fields, and

seagrass meadow A seagrass meadow or seagrass bed is an underwater ecosystem formed by seagrasses. Seagrasses are marine (saltwater) plants found in shallow coastal waters and in the brackish waters of estuaries. Seagrasses are flowering plants with stems and ...

s. ''L. candolii'' can reach up to 7.5 cm in length and shares many similarities with '' L. lepadogaster''. Like the ''Lepadogaster'' other species, ''L. candolii'' has a flattened body and bilateral symmetry. Unlike ''L. lepadogaster'' that has a triangular shaped head, ''L. candolii'' has a more rounded head and rounded fins. ''L. candolii'' has been photographed

cleaning Cleaning is the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment. Cleaning is often performed for aesthetic, hygienic, functional, environmental, or safety purposes. Cl ...

dusky grouper (''

Epinephelus marginatus ''Epinephelus marginatus'' (), the dusky grouper, yellowbelly rock cod or yellowbelly grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the ant ...

''), even entering the grouper's mouth.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1126276 candolii Fish of the Atlantic Ocean Fish of the Mediterranean Sea Fish of the Black Sea Fish described in 1810 Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN