Pleurosicya mossambica Smith, 1959
Toothy goby
Pleurosicya mossambica
photo by Brett, O.J. / www.tropicalfavourites.com

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  3 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 2 - 30 m
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa (Ref. 33390) to Fiji and the Marquesan Islands, north to southern Japan, south to southeast Australia and New Caledonia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 7-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Pale reddish in color (Ref. 11228). Gill rakers rudimentary (Ref. 2798). Transverse scales 7. Mouth large, maxillary extending to vertical from midline to eye. Midline of predorsal and nape naked but scaled on either side. Median fins low; first dorsal roughly triangular and shorter than anterior rays of second dorsal, which is quite low posteriorly. Pectoral large, extending to below gap between dorsal fins. Ventral fins large, frenum fimbriate (Ref. 43541); characterized further by longitudinal scale series 20-27; broad gill opening, reaching to below half of eye; depth of body at anus5.3-6.8 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Lives among soft coral, sponges, Tridacna, and broad-blade plants (Ref. 2798). Also inhabits coastal bays and reef slopes, found on a variety of host and also on algae from very shallow to at least 30 meters (Ref. 48637).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 10 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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