Hector's clingfish

Taxobox
name = Hector's clingfish
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Gobiesociformes
familia = Gobiesocidae
genus = "Gastroscyphus"
genus_authority = Briggs, 1955
species = "G. hectoris"
binomial = "Gastroscyphus hectoris"
binomial_authority = (Günther, 1876)

Hector's clingfish, "Gastroscyphus hectoris", is a clingfish of the family Gobiesocidae, the only species in the genus "Gastrocyathus". It is found all down the east coast of New Zealand around the low water mark amongst seaweed, on rocky coastlines. Its length is up to 6.4 cm.

Hector's clingfish is commonly found amongst brown algae (Cystophora) in rock pools at the low tide level and subtidal areas. It is sometimes found on seaweed exposed at low tide. It swims towards cover and positions itself like drifting algae (heads up tail down position, sculling with the pectoral fins) when disturbed. It is distinguished from other clingfishes by its distinctive body form (it is robust and tapers abruptly behind the dorsal and anal fins).

Coloration is uniform or blotched reddish to olive green or brown dorsally, paler ventrally. A bar of lighter color runs along the head between the eyes and a narrow horizontal dark stripe runs from the snout to the operculum separating the darker dorsal pigment from the paler lower surface. Occasionally a variable row of white spots is found along the side of the body.

References

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