Discordipinna griessingeri

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Discordipinna griessingeri, known as the spikefin goby or flaming prawn goby, is a small, bright reef fish in the goby family. It lives on coral reefs across the western tropical Pacific, including Hawaii and Polynesia, as well as the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It is sometimes sold as an exotic aquarium fish.

Appearance: The spikefin goby is mostly white with orange stripes along its body and along the dorsal fin, and it has dark spots on the face. It has a large, tall dorsal fin behind the head and long rays in the pectoral fins. The body is fully scaled. Adults are about 1–2 cm long. How it may differ between males and females is not well known.

Habitat and behavior: This fish lives on the bottom (benthic) and hides in crevices and pockets on coral reefs, at depths of 2–50 meters. It tends to be reclusive and does not live in burrows or with prawns.

Taxonomy and name: The genus name Discordipinna comes from Latin words meaning “different fin,” referring to its unusual dorsal fin. The species is named after S. Griessinger, who collected one of the paratype specimens. Its binomial name is Discordipinna griessingeri, described in 1978. It belongs to the family Gobiidae.

Conservation: The spikefin goby is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.