Valenciennea immaculata (Ni, 1981)
Red-lined sleeper
Ni's sleeper-goby
Valenciennea immaculata
photo by Kamy Yeung@114°E Hong Kong Reef Fish Survey

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  13 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 1 - 30 m
Distribution:  Western Pacific: Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong, Philippines, and from Western Australia to Sydney, New South Wales (Australia). Recently reported from Tonga (Ref. 53797).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-17; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 13-16. Characterized by yellowish white to pale mauve body color; blue-edged orange stripe on cheek extending along lower side to base of caudal fin; presence of pair of orange-brown stripes on back; caudal fin with dark margin and white submarginal band; juvenile has yellow stripe on midside and pair of dark stripes on back; rhomboid caudal fin; length of caudal fin 3.1-3.6 in SL; longitudinal scale series 63-92; ctenoid body scales, becoming cycloid anteriorly below first dorsal fin and on abdomen; head or midline of nape without scales; side of nape partly scaled with patch extending forward to above posterior edge of preopercle; partly or fully scaled pectoral-fin base in adult; usually scaled prepelvic area in adult; depth of body 5.5-6.3 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Occurs over fine, silty or muddy sand bottoms, Ref. 48637. Usually in pairs (Ref. 90102). Sifts large mouthfuls of sand to feed and dig its own burrow.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 06 April 2022 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Recorded from Komodo and Pulau Bintan (Ref. 47567). Also found in China seas, Malaysia to Singapore and east to Komodo (Ref. 48637).


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.