clingfish

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clingfish

fish family

Also known as: Gobiesocidae

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

clingfish, any of more than 150 species of small fishes of the family Gobiesocidae (order Perciformes). Clingfishes are characterized by a strong suction disk located on the undersurface and formed by the pelvic fins and adjacent folds of flesh. They are scaleless fishes and have wide, flattened heads. Most species are about 7.5 cm (3 inches) or less in length, though the South African Chorisochismus dentex is up to 30 cm (12 inches) long. Some of the tropical American clingfishes of the genus Gobiesox live in rapid streams, but most clingfishes inhabit the sea. Many inhabit the intertidal zone and maintain a hold on the bottom with the sucking disk, whereas others live on coral reefs.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.