Weevers, stargazers & sandlances

94 species · 10 families

Weevers, stargazers and sandlances are bottom fish that like to bury themselves in sand with only their eyes above the seabed. Weevers carry venomous spines on the back and gill cover; a misstep in shallow water gives a painful sting. Stargazers have both eyes and mouth on top of the head and wait, facing up, for unsuspecting prey. Sandlances are slender silver fish that dive en masse into the sand and are important food for seabirds and larger fish. They are inconspicuous but fascinating specialists of the sandy bottom.

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Allport's grubfish

Parapercis allporti

Pinguipedidae

American sand lance

Ammodytes americanus

Ammodytidae

Argentinian sandperch

Pseudopercis semifasciata

Pinguipedidae

Atlantic sandperch

Parapercis atlantica

Pinguipedidae

Atlantic stargazer

Uranoscopus scaber

Uranoscopidae

Banded stonelifter

Kathetostoma laeve

Uranoscopidae

Barfaced grubfish

Parapercis nebulosa

Pinguipedidae

Barred sand burrower

Limnichthys fasciatus

Creediidae

Bicolorbarred grubfish

Parapercis multifasciata

Pinguipedidae

Black dotted sandperch

Parapercis millepunctata

Pinguipedidae

Blackbanded grubfish

Parapercis tetracantha

Pinguipedidae

Blackbanded stargazer

Uranoscopus bicinctus

Uranoscopidae

Blackfin stargazer

Ichthyscopus nigripinnis

Uranoscopidae

Blacktail grubfish

Parapercis hexophtalma

Pinguipedidae

Blue cod

Parapercis colias

Pinguipedidae

Blue stargazer

Pleuroscopus pseudodorsalis

Uranoscopidae

Bluespotted stargazer

Xenocephalus elongatus

Uranoscopidae

Brazilian flathead

Percophis brasiliensis

Percophidae

Brazilian sandperch

Pinguipes brasilianus

Pinguipedidae

Cape sandeel

Gymnammodytes capensis

Ammodytidae

Chilean sandperch

Pinguipes chilensis

Pinguipedidae

Chinese stargazer

Uranoscopus chinensis

Uranoscopidae

Cook's sand stargazer

Crystallodytes cookei

Creediidae

Cylindrical sandperch

Parapercis cylindrica

Pinguipedidae

Dockins' sandperch

Parapercis dockinsi

Pinguipedidae

Doublespot sandperch

Parapercis diplospilus

Pinguipedidae

Doublestitch grubfish

Parapercis multiplicata

Pinguipedidae

Drab nakednape stargazer

Uranoscopus oligolepis

Uranoscopidae

Duckbill Flathead

Bembrops anatirostris

Percophidae

Elegant sand diver

Trichonotus elegans

Trichonotidae

Estuary stargazer

Leptoscopus macropygus

Leptoscopidae

Eyespot grubfish

Parapercis ommatura

Pinguipedidae

False-eye grubfish

Parapercis clathrata

Pinguipedidae

Freckled stargazer

Xenocephalus egregius

Uranoscopidae

Fullscale gaper

Champsodon pantolepis

Champsodontidae

Gaper

Champsodon capensis

Champsodontidae

Gaper

Champsodon vorax

Champsodontidae

Giant stargazer

Kathetostoma giganteum

Uranoscopidae

Gill's sand lance

Ammodytoides gilli

Ammodytidae

Goby Flathead

Bembrops gobioides

Percophidae

Greater sandeel

Hyperoplus lanceolatus

Ammodytidae

Greater weaver

Trachinus draco

Trachinidae

Grey's duckbill

Bembrops greyi

Percophidae

Grub fish

Parapercis pulchella

Pinguipedidae

Grub fish

Parapercis sexfasciata

Pinguipedidae

Grubfish

Parapercis xanthozona

Pinguipedidae

Japanese sand lance

Ammodytes personatus

Ammodytidae

Kai stargazer

Uranoscopus kaianus

Uranoscopidae

Kamohara sandperch

Parapercis kamoharai

Pinguipedidae

Lance

Ammodytes dubius

Ammodytidae

Lancer stargazer

Kathetostoma albigutta

Uranoscopidae

Lesser sandeel

Ammodytes tobianus

Ammodytidae

Lesser weever

Echiichthys vipera

Trachinidae

Longnosed stargazer

Ichthyscopus lebeck

Uranoscopidae

Mediterranean sand eel

Gymnammodytes cicerelus

Ammodytidae

Mitsukuri's sandlance

Bleekeria mitsukurii

Ammodytidae

Munro's sandfish

Crapatalus munroi

Leptoscopidae

Muro sandperch

Parapercis muronis

Pinguipedidae

Namorado sandperch

Pseudopercis numida

Pinguipedidae

Northern stargazer

Astroscopus guttatus

Uranoscopidae

Oman gaper

Champsodon omanensis

Champsodontidae

Pacific sand lance

Ammodytes hexapterus

Ammodytidae

Pacific sandperch

Prolatilus jugularis

Pinguipedidae

Pacific stargazer

Astroscopus zephyreus

Uranoscopidae

Poll's stargazer

Uranoscopus polli

Uranoscopidae

Raitt's sandeel

Ammodytes marinus

Ammodytidae

Red sandperch

Parapercis rufa

Pinguipedidae

Redspotted grubfish

Parapercis schauinslandii

Pinguipedidae

Rosy-green grubfish

Parapercis roseoviridis

Pinguipedidae

Sawtooth gaper

Champsodon nudivittis

Champsodontidae

Sharpnose duckbill

Bembrops filiferus

Percophidae

Sieve stargazer

Xenocephalus cribratus

Uranoscopidae

Smooth sandeel

Gymnammodytes semisquamatus

Ammodytidae

Smooth stargazer

Kathetostoma averruncus

Uranoscopidae

Snyder's gaper

Champsodon snyderi

Champsodontidae

Somali sandperch

Parapercis somaliensis

Pinguipedidae

Southern stargazer

Astroscopus y-graecum

Uranoscopidae

Speckled stargazer

Kathetostoma canaster

Uranoscopidae

Spotted sand diver

Trichonotus setiger

Trichonotidae

Spotted stargazer

Uranoscopus guttatus

Uranoscopidae

Spotted weever

Trachinus araneus

Trachinidae

Spotted-tail duckbill

Bembrops caudimacula

Percophidae

Stargazer

Xenocephalus innotabilis

Uranoscopidae

Starry weever

Trachinus radiatus

Trachinidae

Tau sandburrower

Chalixodytes tauensis

Creediidae

Tenbar sandperch

Parapercis decemfasciata

Pinguipedidae

Tommyfish

Limnichthys polyactis

Creediidae

Torrentfish

Cheimarrichthys fosteri

Cheimarrichthyidae

Tosa stargazer

Uranoscopus tosae

Uranoscopidae

U-mark sandperch

Parapercis snyderi

Pinguipedidae

Wandering sand lance

Ammodytoides vagus

Ammodytidae

Whitened stargazer

Uranoscopus albesca

Uranoscopidae

Whitespot sandperch

Parapercis alboguttata

Pinguipedidae

Yellowtail stargazer

Uranoscopus cognatus

Uranoscopidae