Emblemaria piratica

Species infomation

Distinctive features:

1. Cirri patternless and translucent.
2. Males with an orange blotch on dorsal fin.
3. Males with broken line behind eye.
4. Mating males with orange-tipped blue pelvic fins.
5. Females with brown front of dorsal fin with no blotch.

Physical description:

Simple orbital and nasal cirri. Orbital cirri longer than eye diameter.
Males: front of dorsal fin elevated.
Females: front of dorsal fin slightly elevated followed by a notch.

Colouration:

Cirri patternless and translucent. Red iris with blue bands, either a black or white triangular blotch on the bottom.
Males: tan to a dark brown. Row of dark blotches along midflank separated by pale bands. Upper body pale with many brown spots. Broken vertical line behind eye, one blotch at eye level, the other extending up from lower jaw. Throat wih broken brown lines. Lips with orangish bands. Pale area on cheek behind eye followed by a dark-ringed blotch. Dorsal fin dark green anteriorly with dark brown blotches and a large orange blotch on the base. Can also have dark brown diagonal stripes throughout. First few dorsal spines white with brown stripes..
Mating males: dark wash on head, front of body and front of dorsal fin. Black on front of dorsal fin followed by green with a large orange blotch on base. Pelvic fin base blue with orange tips.
Females: light brown head and translucent body. Belly white and upper body a dark brown. Dark brown vertebral column with white dashes. White spots on upper and lower body. White lower cheek. Front of dorsal fin pale brown. First dorsal spine black with white stripes.

Size:

Reaches 4.0 cm.

Habitat:

Found in empty holes on sandy bottoms with rubble.