speckled sanddab
Citharichthys stigmaeus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Citharichthys stigmaeus, the speckled sanddab, is a species of lefteye Blothid flounder in the genus Citharichthys. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Alaska in the north to Baja California, Mexico in the south. It is usually found in benthic habitats, in both bays and coastal areas. It varies temporarily both seasonally and annually. It is often found highest in abundance during the spring and summer (due to a large number of juveniles), but are found in much lower densities in the winter.
While the Speckled sanddab is technically a game fish, it is of little commercial importance due to its diminutive size, and the larger Pacific sanddab is readily available. The species has a high rate of reproduction, and coupled with the minimal threat from fishing means that it is abundant along the entire North American coast. Over the past few decades, due to its abundance, it has been used in various studies throughout the coast to analyse benthic species distribution and feeding habits.
Wikipedia contributors, Citharichthys stigmaeus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:01:35.153795+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Citharichthys stigmaeus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
- Name authority
- Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
- Common name
- speckled sanddab
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Pleuronectiformes
- Family
- Paralichthyidae
- Genus
- Citharichthys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderPleuronectiformes
- suborderPleuronectoidei
- familyParalichthyidae Regan, 1910
- genusCitharichthys Bleeker, 1862
- speciesCitharichthys stigmaeus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Citharichthys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Stream flounderCitharichthys arctifrons Goode, 1880 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Citharichthys darwini Victor & Wellington, 2013 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Veracruz whiffCitharichthys abbotti Dawson, 1969 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Citharichthys amblybregmatus Gutherz & Blackman, 1970 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| spined whiffCitharichthys dinoceros Goode & Bean, 1886 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Citharichthys gnathus Hoshino & Amaoka, 1999 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| mimic sanddabCitharichthys gordae Beebe & Tee-Van, 1938 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| spotted whiffCitharichthys macrops Dresel, 1885 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| five-rayed sanddabCitharichthys mariajorisae van der Heiden & Mussot-Pérez, 1995 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pacific sanddabCitharichthys sordidus (Girard, 1854) | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| voodoo whiffCitharichthys uhleri Jordan, 1889 | ParalichthyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Cithanichthys stigmaeus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Jordan, D. S., & Gilbert, C. H. (1882). Descriptions of two new species of fishes (Sebastichthys umbrosus and Citharichthys stigmaeus) collected at Santa Barbara, California by Andrea Larco. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, v. 5 (no. 296): 410–412. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.5-296.410 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:VM73. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.