Pleurosicya plicata Larson, 1990
Plicata ghost goby
photo by Bogorodsky, S.V.

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  3.5 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 10 - 32 m
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific: Chagos Archipelago to Papua New Guinea, north to the Philippines, south to northwestern Australia. Recently recorded from Tonga (Ref. 53797).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 7-9. Characterized by semi-transparent, with pale pink or reddish orange hue; covered with pepper-like pigmentation; snout with brown to reddish stripe on side; longitudinal scale series 22-26; head, nape, belly midline and breast without scales; opening of gill reaching to at least below edge of preopercle; depth of body at anus 5.3-7.1 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Inhabits solid sponges at moderate depths, usually in 10 meters or more, but probably depending on the occurrence of certain sponges (Ref. 48637). Collected from reef flats and lagoon and reef channels (Ref. 37816).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 10 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.