Brown Rat Clingfish

This species is distinguished from Barryichthys algicolaby having a shorter, deeper body (body depth at dorsal-fin origin 10-11% SL vs. 7-8% SL); wider, deeper head (head width at widest point 66-75% HL vs. 55-61%; depth at orbit 30-32% HL vs. 27-29%; interorbital width 27-33% HL vs. 20-24%); the ventral margin of orbit obscured by cheek in ventral view (vs. entire ventral margin of orbit visible in ventral view); shorter abdominal region with fewer vertebrae (17 vs. 21); with fewer ribs (11-12 vs. 15), epicentrals (14-15 vs. 18-19) and total vertebrae ( 38-39 vs. 42-44). Live colour pattern, including body background golden-yellow to olive-brown, a variable number of irregularly shaped light to dark brown markings along dorsal midline, presence of a series of light to dark brown elongate lateral markingsforming an incomplete or complete horizontal stripe (Ref. 120657).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 4 - 5; Analsoft rays: 4 - 6; Vertebrae: 38 - 39

This species was collected from dense mats of macroalgae attached to rocky substrate in water up to 1 meter depth. A female specimen (1.42 cm SL) contained ca. 20 mature eggs (ca. 10 within each ovary) of ca. 0.3-0.@ mm diameter. The largest eggs in each ovary exhibited a dark orange cap that may represent an 'attachment apparatus' at the animal pole as described from the eggs of three species of European gobiesocid (Ref. 120657).