Pleurosicya mossambica
A small, translucent goby that lives among corals and sponges.
Pleurosicya mossambica, called the toothy goby or Mozambique ghost goby, is a tiny fish found in warm coastal waters and coral reefs from the Red Sea across the western Indo-Pacific. Like many gobies, it lives alongside marine invertebrates such as soft corals and sponges in a commensal relationship.
South African ichthyologist J. L. B. Smith first described this species in 1959. Its genus name combines the Greek words for "side" and "cucumber," while the species name points to Mozambique, where it was originally discovered.
This goby stays small, reaching a maximum length of 3 cm. It has a pale red, partly translucent body, with seven dorsal spines, seven to eight dorsal soft rays, one anal spine, and eight anal soft rays. Its eyes are large, ringed in red and yellow, and sit at about a 45-degree angle on each side of the head, giving it a wide field of view. The pelvic fins have evolved into sucker-like structures that let the fish cling to corals in strong currents.
Its range stretches from the Red Sea and eastern African coast east to Fiji and the Marquesas Islands, north to southern Japan, and south to southeastern Australia and New Caledonia. It lives in coastal bays and on reef slopes, usually near one of its many host species, at depths between 2 and 30 meters.
The toothy goby dwells among soft corals, sponges, giant clams (Tridacna), broad-bladed plants, algae, and bivalves. One recorded instance off Sulawesi, Indonesia, found it living on a blue sea cucumber (Actinopyga caerulea). Its diet consists mainly of zooplankton, along with mucus and polyps taken from corals.
This species is protogynous: females develop first, then later become males. It spawns on the seafloor, typically laying eggs on ascidians or soft corals.
Because of its wide distribution and lack of major threats, the IUCN Red List classifies it as least concern. Although not legally protected, its habitat overlaps with several marine reserves, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and New Caledonia’s Natural Park of the Coral Sea.
Quick Facts
- Species
- mossambica
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Pleurosicya mossambica was first described by South African ichthyologist J. L. B. Smith in 1959. Its generic name, Pleurosicya, derives from the Greek words pleura (side) and sikya (cucumber), while its species name, mossambica, refers to Mozambique, the region of its first discovery. The fish is pale red and partially translucent, with prominent eyes that have red and yellow rings and are positioned at roughly 45 degrees on each side of the head, granting a greater field of vision. Its pelvic fins have evolved into sucker-like appendages, enabling it to attach to corals in high-current areas.
The species ranges from the Red Sea and eastern African coastline eastward to Fiji and the Marquesas Islands, north to southern Japan, and south to southeastern Australia and New Caledonia. It inhabits coastal bays and reef slopes at depths between 2 and 30 m, most commonly near one of its many hosts. These hosts include soft corals, sponges, Tridacna, broad-blade plants, algae, and bivalves; there is at least one recorded instance of it living among the blue sea cucumber (Actinopyga caerulea) off Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Pleurosicya mossambica is a protogynous species—sequential hermaphrodites with female sexual organs reaching maturity before male sexual organs. It is a benthic spawner, typically depositing its eggs on ascidians or soft corals. Its diet consists primarily of zooplankton, as well as mucus and polyps off corals.
Reader's Guide
Pleurosicya mossambica holds significance as a representative of the diverse commensal relationships between gobies and marine invertebrates in Indo-Pacific reef ecosystems. Its ability to attach to corals and sponges via sucker-like pelvic fins allows it to thrive in high-current environments, and its protogynous reproductive strategy is a notable adaptation among small reef fishes. The species' wide geographic distribution—from the Red Sea to Fiji and from southern Japan to Australia—and its presence in protected areas such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Natural Park of the Coral Sea contribute to its stable conservation status as a least-concern species on the IUCN Red List. While not explicitly protected by law, its overlap with these reserves offers some habitat security. The goby's diet of zooplankton and coral mucus and polyps places it within the complex trophic web of coral reefs, and its use of ascidians and soft corals as spawning substrates highlights its reliance on living benthic structures. The recorded association with the blue sea cucumber off Sulawesi further illustrates the breadth of its host range. Overall, the Mozambique ghost goby exemplifies the specialized niche adaptations that allow small fishes to persist in highly competitive reef environments.
Did You Know?
- Its species name, mossambica, refers to Mozambique, where it was first discovered.
- It has sucker-like pelvic fins that allow it to attach to corals in high-current areas.
More in Wrasses and Gobies 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced