Batrachoididae Jordan 1896

Angulo, Arturo, Betts, Joel T., González-Alemán, Néstor J., Castañeda, Edgar, Berghe, Eric Van Den, Elías, Diego J., Mcmahan, Caleb D. & Matamoros, Wilfredo A., 2023, Continental fishes of Nicaragua: diversity, distribution and conservation status; with an annotated and illustrated checklist of species and an identification guide to families, Zootaxa 5376 (1), pp. 1-89 : 30

Family Batrachoididae Jordan 1896 ( Fig. 3G ). Toadfishes; Peces Sapo, Picadores, Peces Fraile, Brujas

Description: Body relatively elongate and robust, with a relatively large, wide and flattened head; up to 57 cm in length; head with barbels and/or fleshy flaps; mouth wide; eyes directed upward and positioned on the top of the head; spines usually present on operculum and suboperculum; scales usually absent; 1-4 lateral lines on head and body; pelvic fins located under the operculum, before pectoral fins, with one spine and 2–3 rays ( Robertson & Allen 2015, Nelson et al. 2016). Distribution: Marine (primarily coastal benthic), rarely entering brackish water and a few species confined to freshwater; Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans (Nelson et al. 2016). One genus and two species in Nicaraguan freshwaters.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Families of continental fishes of Nicaragua, part 2; Bryconidae (A), Characidae (B), Gymnotidae (C), Loricariidae (D), Heptapteridae (E), Ariidae (F), Batrachoididae (G), Syngnathidae (H), Eleotridae (I), Gobiidae (J), Synbranchidae (K), Centropomidae (L), Polynemidae (M) and Paralichthyidae (N). Illustrations adapted (with permission) from Nelson et al. (2016) and Angulo et al. (2021).