Crinoid clingfish
Discotrema crinophilum
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Gobiesociformes
- Family
- Gobiesocidae
- Genus
- Discotrema
- Species
- Discotrema crinophilum
The crinoid clingfish (Discotrema crinophilum) is a tiny fish that lives among the arms of feather stars and matches their colors.
Only around 2-3 cm, it uses a suction disc to grip its host, often with stripes that mimic crinoid arms.
Our video was filmed in Southern Leyte, and the species is also found on crinoids elsewhere in the Philippines.
Photo: Kai Squires, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist