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Curious wormfish (Gunnellichthys curiosus) — Microdesmidae

Curious wormfish

Gunnellichthys curiosus
Family: Microdesmidae
NE · Not Evaluated

The Curious wormfish (Gunnellichthys curiosus) is a saltwater fish of the family Microdesmidae that grows up to 12 cm.

Length
12 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
9.0–60.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The curious wormfish is a very slender, worm-like goby relative from the Indo-Pacific. The species grows to about 12 cm and has an extremely elongate body with an orange to blue longitudinal stripe and a long, continuous dorsal fin. As a bottom-dweller it hovers just above sandy bottoms near its burrow, into which it vanishes in a flash when threatened. It feeds on small zooplankton. The fish appears in the reef aquarium. The IUCN has not evaluated the species.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Curious wormfish?

The Curious wormfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly red-orange and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Curious wormfish live?

The Curious wormfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Curious wormfish get?

The Curious wormfish grows to a maximum of about 12 cm.

Is the Curious wormfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Curious wormfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Curious wormfish edible?

The Curious wormfish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Sierlijke wormvis verified
English name
Curious wormfish verified
Scientific name
Gunnellichthys curiosus
Family
Microdesmidae
Other names
Curious wormfish; Neon worm-goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
12.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Red / orange sourced
Pattern
Horizontal stripes sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
9.0 verified
Max depth (m)
60.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Geen doelsoort voor de hengelsport; hooguit incidentele vangst of bruikbaar als aasvisje. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Gunnellichthys

More from the family Microdesmidae

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