Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Gulf Toadfish

GULF TOADFISH Opsanus beta

Other Names: Dogfish, Mudfish, and Oysterdog

Distribution: The Gulf Toadfish occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean, from southeastern Florida, east to the Bahamas, southeast through the entire Gulf of Mexico to Yucatan, Mexico.
Features: The gulf toadfish lacks scales and has three lateral lines. The head is large, broad, and flattened, with a lower jaw projecting beyond upper jaw. Fleshy tabs are located along the lower jaw with a blunt maxillary barbel. Tentacles are located along the inner margin of the eye. The mouth is wide and contains numerous sharp teeth. The large pectoral fins are fan-like, posterior to the pelvic fins. The small pelvic fins are located forward, under the chin. The gulf toadfish has small pelvic fins located forward on the body, while both the anal fin and the second dorsal fin are elongate. Males have specialized swim bladder muscles that are used to produce mating calls.
Coloration: The head and body are brown to gray with brown, tan, and white mottling. The darkest, more uniform-colored areas are on the head and forebody of the fish. Pale areas along the body form rosettes toward the posterior end of the gulf toadfish. Brown diagonal bands are located on the dorsal and anal fins and vertical bars exist on the pectoral and caudal fins. The inside of the mouth is pale or white.
Size: The Gulf Toadfish reaches a maximum length of 13 inches
Habitat: Seagrass beds and sandy and rock rubble bottoms located in bays, lagoons, and shallows coastal areas provide habitats for the solitary gulf toadfish. This bottom-dwelling, sluggish fish occurs as deep as 820 feet (250 m). It buries itself in sand or hides among seaweeds, darting out to capture prey. A hardy fish, the gulf toadfish can remain alive for an extended period of time out of water as well as being able to survive in waters containing low levels of dissolved oxygen.