Japanese Stargazer

Uranoscopus japonicus

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth28–245 m
Water temperature17–29 °C
Best monthsMarch, June, and October
How commonRare

All species

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 2 records
February: 4 records
March: 7 records
April: 3 records
May: 6 records
June: 10 records
July: 5 records
August: 2 records
September: 4 records
October: 7 records
November: 1 records
December: 4 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 28–245 m · Deepest record: 256 m

20–30 m: 5 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 1 records
60–70 m: 6 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 4 records
90–100 m: 5 records
100–110 m: 2 records
110–120 m: 2 records
120–130 m: 0 records
130+ m: 11 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 17–29 °C

16–18 °C: 2 records
18–20 °C: 17 records
20–22 °C: 15 records
22–24 °C: 3 records
24–26 °C: 9 records
26–28 °C: 2 records
28–30 °C: 20 records

Names and classification

English: Japanese Stargazer

Names in 3 more languages

Japanese: Mishimaokoze, ミシマオコゼ
Korean: 얼룩통구멍
Simplified Chinese: 向天虎, 含笑, 大頭丁, 日本瞻星魚, 日本鰧, 眼鏡魚

Similar species

Uranoscopus cognatus
Marbled Stargazer
Uranoscopus bicinctus
Blue Stargazer
Uranoscopus oligolepis
Spotted stargazer
Genyagnus monopterygius
bluespotted stargazer
Xenocephalus elongatus

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).
187 open-data records from 1782 to 2021.
Species data updated October 31, 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