Helfrich's Dartfish, Nemateleotris helfrichi Randall & Allen 1973
Helfrichs' Dartfish, Nemateleotris helfrichi, in the Cook Islands, March 2023. Source: Kirby Morejohn / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
A lavender to lilac pink dartfish with a bright pink snout, and a black maxilla (part of upper jaw),
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2025, Nemateleotris helfrichi in Fishes of Australia, accessed 27 Jun 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5282
Helfrich's Dartfish, Nemateleotris helfrichi Randall & Allen 1973
More Info
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Distribution |
Reefs in the Coral Sea. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, west-central Pacific. Often seen in pairs on steep reef slopes over rubble and sandy areas in depths of 25-100 m. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin VI + I, 29-30; Anal fin I, 25-27; Pectoral fin 20-21; Pelvic fin I, 5; Caudal fin total rays 37-43, segmented rays 17; upper procurrent caudal-fin rays 9-14, lower procurrent caudal-fin rays 11-12; Gill rakers 5-7 + 17-18 = 22-24. |
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Colour |
Elevated part of first dorsal fin blue on anterior edge; median fins pale yellowish-green; caudal fin without markings; outermost edge of second dorsal and anal fin tipped with a yellow or orange spot, one in each interradial membrane space, the spots sometimes coalescing; body lavender to lilac; pelvic fins black-tipped; dorsal edge of iris with a black mark at 1 o’clock position, sometimes continuing until interorbital space as a short streak; maxilla black; snout bright pink. |
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Feeding |
Feeds on zooplankton in the water column. |
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Etymology |
The species is named in honour of Philip Helfrich, who was among the first to collect this species. |
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Species Citation |
Nemateleotris helfrichi Randall & Allen 1973, Quarterly Journal of the Taiwan Museum 26(3, 4): 355, figs 3C-5. Type locality: Outside reef off Papeete Harbor, Tahiti, Society Islands, depth 43 m. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2025 |
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Resources |
Helfrich's Dartfish, Nemateleotris helfrichi Randall & Allen 1973
References
Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.
Greenfield, D. & Munroe, T.A. 2016. Nemateleotris helfrichi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T69128541A69130393. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69128541A69130393.en. Accessed on 09 October 2023.
Larson, H.K. & Murdy, E.O. 2001. Microdesmidae. pp. 3607-3608 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds) The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.
Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp.
Randall, J.E. & Allen, G.R. 1973. A revision of the gobiid fish genus Nemateleotris, with descriptions of two new species. Quarterly Journal of the Taiwan Museum 26(3, 4): 347-367.
Tea, Y.-K. & Larson, H.K. 2023. Synopsis of the ptereleotrine goby genus Nemateleotris, with description of a new species from the western and central Pacific Ocean (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71: 248-266 See ref online
