| Family: |
Centriscidae (Snipefishes and shrimpfishes), subfamily: Centriscinae |
| Max. size: |
15 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine; depth range 2 - 42 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: Tanzania (Ref. 51015) and Seychelles (Ref. 1623); then from southern Japan to New South Wales, Australia eastward to Vanuatu. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 3-3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-10; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 12-12. Recognized by hinged part of dorsal fin spine. Variable in color with habitat. Greenish-yellow with diffused stripe when in seagrass environment. Pale with black stripe when found on open substrate with white sand or rubble (Ref. 48635).
Description: Characterized by extremely thin or flattened and nearly transparent body; snout through eye, to base of caudal fin with dark brown to blackish stripe; horizontal first dorsal spine, projecting beyond tail tip, posterior part with movable segment; striated interorbital without groove (Ref. 90102). |
| Biology: |
Form schools among the spines of Diadema or staghorn corals, and feed on minute crustaceans in the zooplankton. Remarkable for their strange body shape and swimming habit: the body is encased in an armor of thin, transparent plates; they swim in synchronized groups, each fish in a vertical position with the snout pointing downwards. |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 03 November 2015 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
| Country info: |
Known from Calamianes Islands, northern Palawan (Ref. 48613), Lanuza Bay (Ref. 104756), Tañon Strait (Ref. 107276), Malalag Bay, Davao Gulf, Sarangani Bay, Bongo Island and Paril-Sangay Protected Seascape, Moro Gulf (Ref. 106380) and Karitonan Core, Calatagan, Batngas (Ref. 107853). Seven specimens were collected by spoon net at Big Lagoon in Miniloc I. near El Nido, FRLM 11814 - 11820. In range Ref. 1602. |
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