Family: |
Microdesmidae (Wormfishes), subfamily: Ptereleotrinae |
Max. size: |
4.5 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
Environment: |
reef-associated; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 5 m |
Distribution: |
Western Pacific: Philippines to Papua New Guinea, north to Yaeyama Islands, south to Queensland, Australia; including Palau and Pohnpei (Caroline Islands) in Micronesia and New Caledonia (Ref. 11889). |
Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 5-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-17; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 14-16. Description: Characterized by greyish body color; white on lower head and ventrally on side; black spot behind eye; narrow yellow stripe from eye to middle of caudal peduncle; stripe on pectoral fin base to lower caudal peduncle, broad dusky grey to blackish; black bar on upper two thirds of caudal fin base; blackish midlateral stripe on caudal fin and diffuse dusky brown oblique band across upper lobe of caudal fin; longitudinal scale series 90-109; presence of head pores around top and rear margin of each eye and two preopercular pores (Ref. 90102). |
Biology: |
Form schools among mangroves and in coastal inlets, associate with P. formosus (Ref. 1602). |
IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 14 September 2011 Ref. (130435)
|
Threat to humans: |
harmless |
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.