Cubed snailfish

Liparis tessellatus

Fish
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth77–408 m
Water temperature7–19 °C
Best monthsJune, October, and November
How commonRare

All species

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 0 records
February: 0 records
March: 0 records
April: 0 records
May: 5 records
June: 6 records
July: 1 records
August: 4 records
September: 1 records
October: 10 records
November: 6 records
December: 0 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 77–408 m · Deepest record: 514.5 m

0–10 m: 3 records
10–20 m: 0 records
20–30 m: 0 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 1 records
110+ m: 29 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 7–19 °C

6–8 °C: 4 records
8–10 °C: 1 records
10–12 °C: 2 records
12–14 °C: 3 records
14–16 °C: 8 records
16–18 °C: 7 records
18–20 °C: 9 records

Names and classification

English: Cubed snailfish

Names in 2 more languages

Japanese: Bikunin, ビクニン
Korean: 물메기

Other scientific names: Cyclogaster tessellatus, Liparis brevicaudus

Similar species

Punctured snailfish
Liparis punctulatus
Tanaka's snailfish
Liparis tanakae
Pink snailfish
Careproctus rastrinus
Careproctus rotundifrons
Rough-body snailfish
Careproctus trachysoma
Blackfinned snailfish
Careproctus cypselurus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
48 open-data records from 1906 to 2016.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist