CLINGFISH

any of about 100 species of small fishes of the family Gobiesocidae and the order Gobiesociformes. Clingfishes are characterized by a strong suction disk located on the undersurface and formed by the pelvic fins and adjacent folds of flesh. They are scaleless fishes and have wide, flattened heads. Most species are about 7.5 cm (3 inches) or less in length, though the South African Chorisochismus dentex is up to 30 cm (12 inches) long. Some of the tropical American clingfishes of the genus Gobiesox live in rapid streams, but most clingfishes inhabit the sea, living in the intertidal zone and maintaining a hold on the bottom with the sucking disk.