Trimma cheni Winterbottom, 2011
Face-stripe pygmy goby
photo by Winterbottom, R.

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  2.23 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 5 - 52 m
Distribution:  Western Pacific Ocean: Philippines, Indonesia. Recorded from Palau, the Philippines, and Sulawesi and Flores in Indonesia (Ref. 87358).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 6-6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 8-8. This species is distinguished from its congeners by having the following characters: 8-9 scales in the predorsal midline, 2-3 scales on the opercle, an elongate second dorsal spine reaching posteriorly to the bases of rays 1-4 of the second dorsal fin, middle pectoral fin rays branched, fifth pelvic fin ray branched once, a dark basal stripe in the dorsal fins, scale pockets indistinctly outlined with darker pigment, and, in life, two red to orange bars across the cheek and three diffuse yellow stripes on the body (most obvious along the caudal peduncle) (Ref. 87358); characterized further by longitudinal scale series 23; cheek without scales; moderately developed U-shaped interorbital furrow; depth of body about 3.6-4.0 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Occurs in outer reef slopes in 10-52 m (Ref. 90102).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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