TRIMMA TAYLORI - (LOBEL, 1979)
Picture courtesy of: Alain Daoulas
Gobie pygmée jaune, Yellow pygmygoby, Yellow cavegoby, Cave dwarfgoby, Yellow cave goby, Oyogi beni goze, オヨギベニハゼ, 泰勒氏磨塘鱧,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-10 (usually: 10); Anal spine: 1; Anal soft rays: 10; Pectoral fin rays: 13-14. Pelvic fin rays: 1 + 5; Lateral line scales: 23; Transverse scales: 7-8 (usually: 7); Predorsal scales: 9-11 (usually: 10). Second spine reaching between base of fourth dorsal-fin ray to anterior part of caudal, almost to end of peduncle in very large (>22 mm) males from some localities, third spine shorter than second, but may be elongated and reach to base of third fin ray in males, spine elongation usually more pronounced in males than in females, all rays branched except posterior element of last ray (although occasionally anterior element of this last ray is also unbranched), last ray reaching posteriorly to between 50-75% length of peduncle (almost to anterior procurrent-fin rays in large males from some localities); Anal spine, all rays except posterior element of last ray branched, last ray reaching to between 0.5-0.8 length of peduncle; Pectoral fin, uppermost 2 and lowermost 1-3 rays unbranched, with 9-11 (usually: 10) branched rays in between; Pelvic fin, fifth ray branched once or twice dichotomously (some specimens with lateral half of first branch remaining single and medial branch dividing dichotomously second time to form 3 terminal tips), 64-89% (mean =73.6, n = 15) length of fourth ray, which reaches posteriorly to bases of second to fourth elements of anal fin, first four rays branching sequentially 2-4 times (usually: 3), no fraenum, basal membrane 100% length of fifth ray (but frequently torn); Caudal fin usually wedge-shaped, with longest ventral ray about 85% length of longest dorsal ray. Max. length: 3.5 cm SL. Depth range: 8 - 55 m.
Color
Translucent yellow, a row of elongate, pupil diameter yellow spots at base of first dorsal fin, three such rows in second dorsal fin, caudal and pelvics yellow, anal yellow with smudges of melanophores, especially proximally, iris yellow near pupil, with anterodorsal and posteroventral smudges of reddish brown margined with purplish blue. Live Indonesian specimens with dorsal half of body translucent except for scale-pockets outlined with red, ventral half of body and head translucent red to red-orange, (median fins not in focus), iris yellow with red blotches margined with purplish-blue dorsally, ventrally, anteriorly and posteriorly, latter two blotches smaller than former two. One specimen yellowish rather than red, with small light purple spots on the abdomen. Freshly collected specimens from Chagos off-white with a reddish-pink suffusion, body with longitudinal rows of yellow spots one-third pupil diameter at bases of scale pockets, scale pockets outlined with pink (especially dorsally), all fins except pectorals densely speckled with melanophores and iridocytes, with 2–4 longitudinal rows of yellow spots one-third pupil diameter in dorsal and anal fins, caudal with about five irregular such rows. Christmas Island, Philippine and Great Barrier Reef specimens similar, but body yellow rather than reddish-pink. Fiji specimen appears to have faded prior to being photographed, and is pinkish-white with orange suffusion on head.
Etymology
Trimma: from Greek, trimma, -atos = something crushed.
taylori: named for Dr Leighton R. Taylor, a former Director of the Waikiki Aquarium (1975–1986), and Professor of Zoology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu. A tradition of the Waikiki Aquarium has been that each of its directors have uniquely Hawaiian fish as namesake.
Original description: Trimma taylori Lobel, 1979 - Type locality: off leeward coast near Makaha Beach, Oahu Island, Hawaiian Islands, depth 44 meters.
Distribution
Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: Maldives, Chagos Archipelago and Western Australia east to Hawaiian Islands, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia, Loyalty Islands and New Caledonia.
Biology
Occur in caves of drop-offs. Benthopelagic. Form loose schools near the roofs or sides of caves and disappears into holes or crevices when approached. Often seen with other species of Trimma and feeds on harpacticoid copepods.
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Trimma (Genus)
Gobie pygmée jaune, Yellow pygmygoby, Yellow cavegoby, Cave dwarfgoby, Yellow cave goby, Oyogi beni goze, オヨギベニハゼ, 泰勒氏磨塘鱧,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-10 (usually: 10); Anal spine: 1; Anal soft rays: 10; Pectoral fin rays: 13-14. Pelvic fin rays: 1 + 5; Lateral line scales: 23; Transverse scales: 7-8 (usually: 7); Predorsal scales: 9-11 (usually: 10). Second spine reaching between base of fourth dorsal-fin ray to anterior part of caudal, almost to end of peduncle in very large (>22 mm) males from some localities, third spine shorter than second, but may be elongated and reach to base of third fin ray in males, spine elongation usually more pronounced in males than in females, all rays branched except posterior element of last ray (although occasionally anterior element of this last ray is also unbranched), last ray reaching posteriorly to between 50-75% length of peduncle (almost to anterior procurrent-fin rays in large males from some localities); Anal spine, all rays except posterior element of last ray branched, last ray reaching to between 0.5-0.8 length of peduncle; Pectoral fin, uppermost 2 and lowermost 1-3 rays unbranched, with 9-11 (usually: 10) branched rays in between; Pelvic fin, fifth ray branched once or twice dichotomously (some specimens with lateral half of first branch remaining single and medial branch dividing dichotomously second time to form 3 terminal tips), 64-89% (mean =73.6, n = 15) length of fourth ray, which reaches posteriorly to bases of second to fourth elements of anal fin, first four rays branching sequentially 2-4 times (usually: 3), no fraenum, basal membrane 100% length of fifth ray (but frequently torn); Caudal fin usually wedge-shaped, with longest ventral ray about 85% length of longest dorsal ray. Max. length: 3.5 cm SL. Depth range: 8 - 55 m.
Color
Translucent yellow, a row of elongate, pupil diameter yellow spots at base of first dorsal fin, three such rows in second dorsal fin, caudal and pelvics yellow, anal yellow with smudges of melanophores, especially proximally, iris yellow near pupil, with anterodorsal and posteroventral smudges of reddish brown margined with purplish blue. Live Indonesian specimens with dorsal half of body translucent except for scale-pockets outlined with red, ventral half of body and head translucent red to red-orange, (median fins not in focus), iris yellow with red blotches margined with purplish-blue dorsally, ventrally, anteriorly and posteriorly, latter two blotches smaller than former two. One specimen yellowish rather than red, with small light purple spots on the abdomen. Freshly collected specimens from Chagos off-white with a reddish-pink suffusion, body with longitudinal rows of yellow spots one-third pupil diameter at bases of scale pockets, scale pockets outlined with pink (especially dorsally), all fins except pectorals densely speckled with melanophores and iridocytes, with 2–4 longitudinal rows of yellow spots one-third pupil diameter in dorsal and anal fins, caudal with about five irregular such rows. Christmas Island, Philippine and Great Barrier Reef specimens similar, but body yellow rather than reddish-pink. Fiji specimen appears to have faded prior to being photographed, and is pinkish-white with orange suffusion on head.
Etymology
Trimma: from Greek, trimma, -atos = something crushed.
taylori: named for Dr Leighton R. Taylor, a former Director of the Waikiki Aquarium (1975–1986), and Professor of Zoology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu. A tradition of the Waikiki Aquarium has been that each of its directors have uniquely Hawaiian fish as namesake.
Original description: Trimma taylori Lobel, 1979 - Type locality: off leeward coast near Makaha Beach, Oahu Island, Hawaiian Islands, depth 44 meters.
Distribution
Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: Maldives, Chagos Archipelago and Western Australia east to Hawaiian Islands, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia, Loyalty Islands and New Caledonia.
Biology
Occur in caves of drop-offs. Benthopelagic. Form loose schools near the roofs or sides of caves and disappears into holes or crevices when approached. Often seen with other species of Trimma and feeds on harpacticoid copepods.
Similar species
Trimma citrum (Winterbottom & Pyle, 2022) - Reported from Vanuatu. Plain lemon-yellow body, a white saddle on the dorsal caudal peduncle, and an indistinct collection of melanophores on the posterior caudal peduncle. Depth range: 116 m.
Trimma citrum (Winterbottom & Pyle, 2022) - Reported from Vanuatu. Plain lemon-yellow body, a white saddle on the dorsal caudal peduncle, and an indistinct collection of melanophores on the posterior caudal peduncle. Depth range: 116 m.
Trimma kitrinum (Winterbottom & Hoese, 2015) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
Trimma gigantum (Winterbottom & Zur, 2007) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).