Description

This moderate-sized (up to 55 mm SL) species has a distinctive colour pattern: in males, with 6 broad vertical dark blotchy bars along mid-side of body, several staggered rows of black spots along the dorsal part of the body, 1-4 irregular rows of golden yellow (in life) spots along lower half of body, 2 characteristic small black spots at base of first dorsal fin, and 1-3 staggered rows of oval black ocellate spots on anal fin (in life, red, blue and yellow may surround black spots); in females, with vertical dark body bars much paler and red and yellow markings much less distinct; D2 and anal fin rays nearly always I,11; pectoral rays 15-17 (usually 16); lateral scales 24-30 (usually 26); predorsal scales 9-10 (usually 8-9), ctenoid and cycloid (Ref. 92171).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Gobiiformes

Family: Gobiidae

Genus: Gnatholepis

Species: Gnatholepis ophthalmotaenia (Bleeker, 1854)

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

Found in shallow waters, from reef tidepools, among seagrass, in shallow mangroves and (usually) sand and coral rubble reef substrates at depths of 0.2-12 m (Ref. 92171).

Habitat

associated