Acanthemblemaria atrata

Species infomation

Distinctive features:

1. Red snout and lips.
2. ~7 red bars along body.
3. Mating males with black head, body and fins.

Physical description:

One pair of nasal and orbital cirri. Eye and nasal cirri either unbranched or with 1 branch.

Colouration:

Body is dark brown to light brown to translucent with ~7 bars along the body. Small blue spots on head and body and one or two pairs of blue spots on upper lip.
Mating males: black on head, body and fins.

Size:

Reaches 3.8 cm.

Habitat:

Found in barnacles and worm tubes in rocky reefs and holes in coral.

Notes:

Endemic to Cocos island.