Species infomation
Distinctive features:
- Orbital cirri present.
- Cranial pattern of a 'U' and a 'W' below.
- Breeding males with spiked dorsal fin with orange banner.
- Breeding males with black head, front of body and dorsal fin.
Physical description:
Simple nasal and orbital cirri.
Females and immature males: first 2 dorsal spines slightly elevated.
Males: first spine greatly elevated, ~3x length of following spines.
Colouration:
Females and immature males: largely transparent. Red vertebral column with white dashes. White orbital cirri. Pink/blue cranial pattern U-shaped with broken lines resembling a W below and lots of loose dots.
Females: white between dorsal spines I-III.
Immature males: clear dorsal fin.
Breeding males: Black head and front of body. Black orbital cirri. Front of dorsal fin black white orange banner on upper half - black and orange separated by white stripe. Purple-red iris. White spots on rear cheek.
Size:
Reaches 1.5 cm.
Habitat:
Found on massive corals in reefs. Breeding males found in holes.
Species images and information
E. bahamensis has no orbital cirri. E. bahamensis has a cranial pattern of a Y-shape with a dot in the centre. E. carib has broken blotches make a rough U-shape with another wider U below it.
Females of E. carib have a cranial pattern of a mosaic resembling a U with a W below and with many loose spots, E. lancea has an X and no loose spots. Breeding males of E. carib have a spike in the inital dorsal fin.
Females of E. carib have a cranial pattern of a mosaic resembling a U with a W below and with many loose spots, E. leptocirris has an X with outwardly curved lines and no spots. Breeding males of E. carib have a spike in the inital dorsal fin.
E. ruetzleri has no pink and is instead largely brown with some blue spots while E. carib is largely a pinkish hue. Breeding males of E. carib have a spike in the inital dorsal fin while E. ruetzleri is only slightly elevated.