Blue-eyed triplefin
Encyclopedia
The blue-eyed triplefin, Notoclinops segmentatus, is a fish in the genus Notoclinops
, commonly found around the North Island
of New Zealand
from depths of a metre to about 30 m, most common in reef
areas of broken rock. Its length is between 3 and 6 cm and it is easily distinguished from other small fish by its iridescent blue eyes which give its name. There are nine red vertical bars running right round the body, and an orange tinge to the back and head.
In the breeding season in winter the orange on the males becomes brighter on the head, tail, and anal fin. The rest of the body becomes blue/black. Males set up nests in small depressions on vertical rock faces at depths of about 10 to 20 m where females are encouraged to lay their eggs. The nest is then guarded.
The blue-eyed triplefin's diet includes small crustacean
s (including amphipods and copepod
s), and has been known to remove parasites from larger fish.
Notoclinops
Notoclinops is a genus of triplefins in the family Tripterygiidae.-Species:* Blue dot triplefin, Notoclinops caerulepunctus Hardy, 1989* Blue-eyed triplefin, Notoclinops segmentatus...
, commonly found around the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
from depths of a metre to about 30 m, most common in reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
areas of broken rock. Its length is between 3 and 6 cm and it is easily distinguished from other small fish by its iridescent blue eyes which give its name. There are nine red vertical bars running right round the body, and an orange tinge to the back and head.
In the breeding season in winter the orange on the males becomes brighter on the head, tail, and anal fin. The rest of the body becomes blue/black. Males set up nests in small depressions on vertical rock faces at depths of about 10 to 20 m where females are encouraged to lay their eggs. The nest is then guarded.
The blue-eyed triplefin's diet includes small crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s (including amphipods and copepod
Copepod
Copepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. Some species are planktonic , some are benthic , and some continental species may live in limno-terrestrial habitats and other wet terrestrial places, such as swamps, under leaf fall in wet forests,...
s), and has been known to remove parasites from larger fish.