Comet Clingfish, Flabellicauda cometes Fujiwara, Conway & Motomura 2021
Summary:
A maroon clingfish with a white stripe along the back from the snout tip to the dorsal-fin origin (stripe broad anteriorly, narrowing towards dorsal fin), and a second white stripe running from the rear of the jaw over the top of the eye to the posterior part of the body (fading towards the rear). The species has a dark red snout tip, reddish-orange jaws and a black pupil.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Flabellicauda cometes in Fishes of Australia, accessed 05 May 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5648
Comet Clingfish, Flabellicauda cometes Fujiwara, Conway & Motomura 2021
More Info
Distribution |
Northern Great Barrier Reef - off Cape Melville and Lizard Island, Queensland. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific: Seychelles, Chagos Archipelago, and Kiribati. |
Features |
Dorsal fin 10-12; Anal fin 9-11; Pectoral fin 27-28; Gill rakers (first 7 second arches) 5; upper end of gill opening level with base of 12th to 14th pectoral-fin ray in lateral view; head sensory canal pores poorly developed, including 2 nasal and 1 postorbital pore; disc region A without papillae at centre. |
Colour |
From photograph: Body maroon with white stripe on dorsal midline and lateral side of body; stripe on dorsal midline extending from snout tip to dorsal-fin origin, its width broad anteriorly, gradually narrower toward posterior; lateral stripes extending from posterior point of jaws, past dorsal margin of eye, to posterior part of body (becoming indistinct posteriorly). Snout tip dark red, jaws reddish orange. Pupil black. |
Etymology |
The specific name is from the Latin cometes (= a comet), in reference to the bold white stripe along the dorsal midline, reminiscent of the trailing tail of a traveling comet against the night sky. |
Species Citation |
Flabellicauda cometes Fujiwara, Conway & Motomura 2021, Ichthyology & Herpetology 109(3): 765, Figs. 2B, 6D-F, 7B, 16-17. Type locality: Salomon Atoll, Chagos Archipelago, 05 21 18 S, 72 12 58 E, 3–13 m. |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2022 |
Comet Clingfish, Flabellicauda cometes Fujiwara, Conway & Motomura 2021
References
Fujiwara, K., Conway, K.W. & Motomura, H. 2021. Description of a new genus and two new species of Indo-Pacific clingfishes (Gobiesocidae: Diademichthyinae) with redescription and reassignment of two species previously assigned to Lepadichthys Waite, 1904. Ichthyology & Herpetology 109(3): 753-784. https://doi.org/10.1643/i2020132
Quick Facts
Depth:3-13 m
Habitat:Reef associated
Max Size:2 cm SL
Species Maps
CAAB distribution map