Hotlips Pygmygoby
Geography: Indian Ocean, Salomon Atoll, British Indian Ocean Territory, Chagos Archipelago. drop-off on west side of pass on north side of Isle Diabole. Longitude: 0721233 E; Latitide: 052039 S
Date: March 18, 1979
Dimensions:maximum length=17 mm
Taxonomy
- Attributes
- Objects
- Taxonomy
- Kingdom:
Animalia
- Phylum:
Chordata
- Class:
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
- Order:
Gobiiformes
- Family:
Gobiidae
- Genus:
Trimma
- SpecificEpithet:
dalerocheila
Object number: 40519
DescriptionOne of the almost 80 species of pygmy gobies, the species reaches about 20 mm in length from snout tip to tail-fin base. It is common at depths between 20-40 m on the vertical drop-offs of the coral reefs surrounding the Chagos Archipelago. It has subsequently been collected at Mauritius and in the Seychelles, both in the Indian Ocean to which this species seems to be confined. The large number of individuals from a single collecting station suggests that this may be a schooling species that feeds primarily on the zooplankton wafting over the reefs. The scientific and common names derive from the fiery red lips and snout of the species, and also from the nickname “Holly Hotlips”, applied to a valued member of the expedition during which the species was first collected.
