Phil Foster fish id

I found this strange little guy yesterday while dive at Phil Foster park (Palm Beach, FL). It was approximately 2 inches long. Its tail came to a sharp point and it swirled its dorsal fin in a circular manner similar to a lancer dragonette. It could also bury itself almost instantaneously like a star gazer. Any ideas? I don't think I've ever seen one of these little guys before and I couldn't locate it in the fish id books.

Strange. Have you ever see a young stargazer. I wonder what they look like?

I have no idea what this is.

Alex

Although the dorsal doesn't seem to match, a Pygmy Stargazer?

Or there are some Lizardfish with a small first dorsal up the front like that, possibly a juvi???

Cheers,

Jim.

It's a stargazer for sure, most likely of the genus Platygillellus, but to give you a confirmed ID I would need a specimen to look at its morphology in detail...

Hi Laz;

This appears to be the same fish that we identified recently from other photos taken at Phil Foster Park --- Gillellus greyae, the arrow stargazer.

Les

Cool, and great find whatever it turns out to be confirmed as.

Cheers

Todd

I found this strange little guy yesterday while dive at Phil Foster park (Palm Beach, FL). It was approximately 2 inches long. Its tail came to a sharp point and it swirled its dorsal fin in a circular manner similar to a lancer dragonette. It could also bury itself almost instantaneously like a star gazer. Any ideas? I don't think I've ever seen one of these little guys before and I couldn't locate it in the fish id books.

Laz,

I found perhaps the same sand stargazer on the West side of BHB in May. Will send you pic as I can't post it here

Deb