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Naked dartfish (Parioglossus nudus) — Microdesmidae

Naked dartfish

Parioglossus nudus
Family: Microdesmidae

The Naked dartfish (Parioglossus nudus) is a saltwater fish of the family Microdesmidae that grows up to 2 cm.

Length
2 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
5.0–37.0 m
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Naked dartfish is a tiny dartfish or wormfish (Gobiidae) from shallow, clear coastal and mangrove water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to only about 3 cm and has an extremely slender, semi-translucent body, often with a fine longitudinal stripe and large eyes. As a social fish it hovers in schools just above sand, coral and roots and dives into a burrow when threatened; it snaps at small zooplankton. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Naked dartfish?

The Naked dartfish has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Naked dartfish live?

The Naked dartfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Naked dartfish get?

The Naked dartfish grows to a maximum of about 2 cm.

Is the Naked dartfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Naked dartfish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Naakte pijlgrondel sourced
English name
Naked dartfish sourced
Scientific name
Parioglossus nudus
Family
Microdesmidae
Other names
Naked dart-goby; Naked hover goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
2.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
5.0 verified
Max depth (m)
37.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Parioglossus

More from the family Microdesmidae

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