GOBIIDAE


Trimma okinawae, 2.5 cm SL
(photo by Ukkrit Satapoomin)


Trimma okinawae
(Aoyagi, 1949)
Okinawa Dwarf Goby

D VI + I, 9-10; A I, 8; P1 17-18; LR 26-27; PDS 6-7.

Body relatively short, compressed; head subcylindrical; lower jaw slightly projecting anteriorly beyond upper jaw; gill opening extending anteriorly to well beyond a vertical through preopercular margin; tongue near truncate or rounded. Second spine of first dorsal fin may be elongate and filamentous; pelvic fins almost separated; frenum absent. Scales on body ctenoid, except for pectoral-fin base and breast with cycloid scales; head naked, with cycloid scales on operculum. Sensory canals and pores absent on head; reduced longitudinal pattern of sensory-papillae rows on cheek; a pair of short longitudinal rows of sensory papillae just behind chin. Color: head and body pale beige, with numerous yellowish orange spots; some orange vertical bars on cheek and operculum; yellow or orange spots on vertical fins. Size: 3.0 cm SL. Distribution: Indo Pacific. Remarks: typically found in crevices and caves of coral reefs.