Emblemaria diphyodontis

Species infomation

Distinctive features:

1. ~9 pale blotches along upper body.
2. Dark bars between pale blotches.
3. Males with U-shaped membranes in front dorsal fin.
4. Breeding males with blue stripes on lips.

Physical description:

Eye and nasal cirri simple.
Male: orbital cirri long - ~1.5x length of eye diameter. Front of dorsal fin greatly elevated with the membrane between the first 5 spines low and U-shaped; but this shape becomes less obvious along the fin.
Female: orbital cirri short - 1/4 length of eye diameter. Spiny and soft dorsal fin roughly same height but spiny is slightly elevated.

Colouration:

Colour variable but always brownish; from a dark brown to a greenish brown to a pale yellow-brown. Iris colour variable: dark brown, white, red. Head brown and rear body a light yellow/green. Head and body with black dots. ~9 paler blotches along upper body which fade posteriorly. Blotches separated by dark bars which also become fainter posteriorly. Dark vertical stripes down lips and sometimes from bottom of eye to lower head.
Mating males: darker in colour. Blue stripes on lips. Dorsal fin a solid a yellowish green-blue with black spots throughout.
Females: front of dorsal fin grey with dark stripes. Row of dark blotches along base of dorsal fin correspond with blotches on body.

Size:

Reaches 7.0 cm but females are significantly smaller.

Habitat:

Found in empty shells on bottoms made of rubble and shells.