Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, meet March's Fish of the Month, the Horseshoe-tailed Dottyback (Pseudochromis tapeinosoma)!
Survey Regions: Found throughout the Asian Pacific, in areas such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Micronesia, and Solomon Islands, as well as the Coral Sea and New Caledonia. This includes REEF's Central Indo-Pacific (CIP) and South Pacific (SOP) regions.
Size: Up to 3 inches.
Identifying Features: Its most distinctive marking is a blue, horseshoe-shaped border on the tail. It also has a bright yellow or tan body with a broad, greenish-blue stripe that runs from the top of the head along the back, and scattered blue specks on its sides.
Fun Fact: You'll need a sharp eye (and perhaps a flashlight) to locate this one! Horseshoe-tailed Dottybacks are shy crevice dwellers that only venture out into the open periodically. These small, brightly colored fish can usually be found darting between caves and small holes on coral reefs. They are believed to eat small crustaceans, zooplankton, and worms.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the April issue of e-News to see our next Fish of the Month!