Costa Rica
Checklist of Endemic Marine Fish Species
This list of marine fish species found exclusively in Costa Rica is based on the taxonomy used in FishBase 2004 (2004). For further details on possible inaccuracies in the list see Sources & Caveats.
FishBase 2004: a global information system on fishes. DVD. WorldFish Center - Philippine Office, Los Banos, Philippines. Published in May 2004.
The current version of this electronic database is accessible here.
OC = a FishBase occurrence record suggests a specimen from another country outside normal stated range (these vary widely in reliability from obvious misidentifications to being almost certainly correct)
Acanthemblemaria atrata (Chaenopsidae) Cocos Barnacle-blenny
Paraconger ophichthys (Congridae)
Gillellus chathamensis (Dactyloscopidae) Cocos Stargazer
Gobiesox crassicorpus (Gobiesocidae) Thick Clingfish
Gobiesox milleri (Gobiesocidae) Miller's Clingfish
Gobiesox stenocephalus (Gobiesocidae) Narrow-headed Clingfish
Gobiesox woodsi OC (Gobiesocidae) Woods' Clingfish
Tomicodon vermiculatus (Gobiesocidae) Vermiculate Clingfish
Chriolepis atrimelum (Gobiidae)
Chriolepis dialepta (Gobiidae) White-starred Goby
Elacatinus nesiotes (Gobiidae) Broken-back Cleaner-goby
Evermannia erici (Gobiidae) Eric's Goby
Lythrypnus alphigena (Gobiidae) Cheek-spotted Goby
Lythrypnus cobalus OC (Gobiidae) Knave Goby
Lythrypnus lavenbergi (Gobiidae)
Halichoeres discolor (Labridae) Cocos Wrasse
Halichoeres salmofasciatus (Labridae) Red-striped Wrasse
Malacoctenus costaricanus OC (Labrisomidae) Costa Rican Blenny
Leptenchelys vermiformis (Ophichthidae) Slender Worm-eel
Axoclinus cocoensis OC (Tripterygiidae) Cocos Triplefin
Additional endemic marine fish species that were described too recently to be included in FishBase 2004 are given below. This list is primarily based on information from the 13 March 2009 version of the Catalog of Fishes database (current version here) and includes species described through 2008. In addition to the 20 endemic marine fish species listed above, these additional 3 species total 23 species of marine fishes known solely from Costa Rica.
Gunterichthys bussingi (Bythitidae) Bussing's Brotula 2004
Ogilbia cocoensis (Bythitidae) Cocos Brotula 2005
Scorpaena cocosensis (Scorpaenidae) Cocos Scorpionfish 2004