Fish of The Week

Last Update : Thursday 30 August, 2001 4:10 PM

Illust : Anuwat Saisaeng

Blackfin dartfish

Scientific name

Ptereleotris evides

Common name

Blackfin dartfish

Size

10 centimeters

Dispersion

Andaman Sea. Very little found in the Gulf of Thailand

Area found

Demersal fish

Depth

5 – 50 meters

Feed on

Mainly animal plankton

Situation

Depends on the state of coral reef. Not directly effected by man.

Conservation

Do not chase after him. It might result in changing of behavior

Fish Tip

This type of fish likes to hide in the hole. If you would like to closely observe, creep in softly.

          Dartfish is in Family Microdesmidae. Some people call him dart gobies. There are about 45 kinds of them in the world. This family of fish can be divided into two groups. One is has a long body. It is generally called wormfish. This group is in the Subfamily Microdesminae . The other has a shorter body, generally called dartfish. This group is in the Subfamily Ptereleotrinae , like the one presented here.

          If you would like to see black fin dartfish, we would like to recommend you to go SCUBA diving in the Andaman Sea. This type of fish lives in deep water. We usually found him at 20 – 30 meters. They normally live in couple, on the sand mixed with coral bits, at the deep end of the reef. Some times they live on the sand basin. This type of fish lives in the hole with certain boundary. Normally, they stay around the holes, keeping afloat above the floor, nibbling at animal plankton floating by. If aware of large object approaching, they would suddenly dart into the hole for refuge.

          Dartfish spawns in the hole around the area. After hatched, it become plankton floating with the current before settling down on the floor again.

          Black fin dartfish does not have an attractive color. He has many relatives with bright color like Fire dartfish(Similan Island), Purple-face dartfish(Bon Island). I do not really know why Mister Tee has drawn the not so beautiful first. I will ask him to draw the more beautiful ones later.

Blackfin dartfish



Scientific name	Ptereleotris evides
Common name	Blackfin dartfish
Size	10 centimeters
Dispersion	Andaman Sea. Very little found in the Gulf of Thailand
Area found	Demersal fish
Depth	5 – 50 meters
Feed on	Mainly animal plankton
Situation	Depends on the state of coral reef. Not directly effected by man.
Conservation	Do not chase after him. It might result in changing of behavior
Fish Tip	This type of fish likes to hide in the hole. If you would like to closely observe, creep in softly.

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