Fleet klipfish (Climacoporus navalis)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from FishBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
Climacoporus navalis, the fleet klipfish, is a species of clinid found in subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of South Africa where it can be found in tide pools. This species can reach a maximum length of 7 cm TL. It is currently the only known member of its genus.
- Scientific name
- Climacoporus navalis
- Authority
- Barnard, 1935
- Family
- Clinidae
- Order
- Blenniiformes
- Maximum length
- 7 cm
- Habitat zone
- demersal
- Iucn red list
- Least Concern
- Gbif occurrence records
- 49
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Blenniiformes · Family: Clinidae · Genus: Climacoporus.
Accepted name: Climacoporus navalis · Authority: Barnard, 1935 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 280217.
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=280217 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (FishBase)
Measured values published by FishBase for Climacoporus navalis. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 7 cm · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: elongated · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.
FishBase notes: Inhabits rock pools; agile and difficult to capture (Ref. 5496).
Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 22879) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Climacoporus-navalis.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
49 georeferenced occurrence records for Climacoporus navalis are published through GBIF from 2 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 11 distinct locations from a sample of 49 records, omitting 1 inland record that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.
Most records by country or area: South Africa (48); Seychelles (1).
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2380380) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2380380&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=280217 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
The IUCN Red List assesses Climacoporus navalis Barnard, 1935 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 179091) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179091/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2380380) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2380380/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
Fins: Dorsal fin spines 33 to 38, rays 0 to 1; Anal fin spines 2, rays 22 to 24; Pectoral fin rays 12; Ventral fin spines 1, rays 2 to 3.
Gill rakers (1 to 2)+5.
Vertebrae 15+(27to 29).
Lateral line with about 80 double pores.
Body depth 5 to 6.25 in Standard length.
Head length 4 to 5.25 in Standard length.
Eye 3 to 4 diameters in head length.
Caudal peduncle 25 to 33.5% head length, depth 25 to 33.5% head length.
The body is elongate and moderately compressed. Profile of the head is slightly convex. The caudal peduncle is short. There is a pair of prominent, transversely flattened, palmate tentacles above the eyes. The mouth has thick lips and is a band of smaller teeth behind the front row in both jaws, with a curved band of teeth on the vomer.
The dorsal fin is low, even and without cirri at the tips of the dorsal spines. The 1st to 4th spines are more widely spaced than the rest. The third ray of the pelvic (ventral) fin is reduced or absent. The cirri on the front nostrils are small and flap-like, slightly emarginate below the apex.
The fish can be reddish or maroon-brown, or yellow-brown to greenish, streaked, mottled or barred irregularly with darker green or brown and may have a cream belly.
reddish brown. There is an oval dark ocellus with a pale border between the start of the lateral line and the 2nd or 3rd dorsal spines, a dark band across base of the caudal fin, followed by 2 narrower bands and a few irregular spots. The edge of the anal fin is pale.
Attains 7 cm.
Source: Wikipedia: Climacoporus navalis — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climacoporus_navalis (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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