Striped Clingfish

Rose-pink in color, becoming scarlet on tail and fins. Pink with yellowish tinges ventrally. Deep reddish patch over most of body dorsally. Distinguished from other clingfishes by a broad, bluntly pointed head, with a thick, fleshy upper lip, no longitudinal groove below the eye but a line of papillae is usually present. The sucking disc has flattened papillae continuous across the anterior margin.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 7 - 8

Lives and forages in the interstices beneath stones and rocks (Ref. 26966).

Inhabits sheltered areas beneath rocks of the intertidal at mid to low tide level. Also found in subtidal areas. Feeds on small crustaceans and mollusks.

The striped clingfish (Trachelochismus melobesia) is a clingfish of the family Gobiesocidae, found all around New Zealand from low water to about 5 m, on rocky coastlines. Its length is between 5 and 10 cm.