Striped clingfish (Diademichthys lineatus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Gobiesociformes · Family: Gobiesocidae · Genus: Diademichthys.

Accepted name: Diademichthys lineatus · Authority: (Sauvage, 1883) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 219756.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Coronichthys ornata Herre, 1942; Crepidogaster lineatum Sauvage, 1883; Diademichthys deversor Pfaff, 1942.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219756 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Diademichthys lineatus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 5 cm · Depth range: 3–20 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: elongated · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100.

FishBase notes: Lives in close association with long-spined sea urchins or branching corals of sheltered reefs (Ref. 9710). Juvenile fish eat pedicellariae and sphaeridia of the host Diadema and commensal copepods; adult fish eat burrowing bivalves in corals as well as tube feet of their host and eggs of a commercial shrimp (Ref. 33619).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 12891) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Diademichthys-lineatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

676 georeferenced occurrence records for Diademichthys lineatus are published through GBIF from 12 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 115 distinct locations from a sample of 676 records, omitting 26 inland records 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: Australia (193); New Caledonia (103); Indonesia (99); Japan (85); Philippines (79); Viet Nam (33); Malaysia (19); Solomon Islands (19); Papua New Guinea (17); Fiji (15); Thailand (13); Cambodia (1).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Mauritian Exclusive Economic Zone.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2411384) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2411384&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219756 (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 Diademichthys lineatus (Sauvage, 1883) 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 67904147) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/67904147/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2411384) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2411384/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The long-snout clingfish is a small type of fish, which can grow up to 5 cm.

It has an elongated body and a stretched and spatulate snout. The snout is a criterion for recognizing the sex of the fish, since females have a longer and finer snout than males. This sexual dimorphism reflects a different diet between the two sexes.

The body's background color varies from dark brown to red-brown, and the body has three yellowish longitudinal lines that run along it, one on the top of the body and the two others on the median axis of the sides of the fish. The caudal fin is marked by a yellow spot in its center, and the snout can also have some yellow coloration.

The longsnouted clingfish has been found to release a grammistin-like toxic mucus on its skin.

Long-snout clingfish are widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific region, inhabiting the region from the Gulf of Oman to Papua New Guinea.

They are found in reef environments often associated with long-spined sea urchins particularly of the genus Diadema.

Long-snout clingfish feed mainly on burrowing bivalves in corals, tube feet of their host, and eggs of a commensal shrimp.

The fish's sexual dimorphism is caused by a difference between the male's and the female's diet, causing the adult female to have a longer snout. The adult female eats small bivalves and shrimp's eggs more often than the adult males, who eat tube feet more frequently.

Source: Wikipedia: Diademichthys lineatus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diademichthys_lineatus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.