Blue dot triplefin
Encyclopedia
The blue dot triplefin, Notoclinops caerulepunctus, is a fish in the genus Notoclinops
, found around offshore islands and exposed headlands of the eastern side of Northland, and the Bay of Plenty
, on the North Island
of New Zealand
from depths of a metre or so to about 30 m, most common in reef
areas of broken rock. Its length is only up to about 5 cm and it is the smallest of the triplefins in New Zealand.
The blue dot triplefin's head is yellow-orange covered with large bright red spots back as far as the first dorsal fin
. On the upper half of the rest of the body are a series of dark blue-black square areas, with an iridescent blue spot joining each pair of squares. These dots are often the only thing seen when the fish is resting on rocks covered in colourful encrusting life. It is known to remove parasites from large fishes.
Notoclinops
Notoclinops is a genus of triplefins in the family Tripterygiidae.-Species:* Blue dot triplefin, Notoclinops caerulepunctus Hardy, 1989* Blue-eyed triplefin, Notoclinops segmentatus...
, found around offshore islands and exposed headlands of the eastern side of Northland, and the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
, on 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 or so 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 only up to about 5 cm and it is the smallest of the triplefins in New Zealand.
The blue dot triplefin's head is yellow-orange covered with large bright red spots back as far as the first dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
. On the upper half of the rest of the body are a series of dark blue-black square areas, with an iridescent blue spot joining each pair of squares. These dots are often the only thing seen when the fish is resting on rocks covered in colourful encrusting life. It is known to remove parasites from large fishes.