Nano goby turns a Bullock’s Hypselodoris nudibranch into its own habitat

[vimeo width=”680″ height=”450″]http://vimeo.com/48234146[/vimeo]

We tend to think of small reef fish living in a wide range of habitats but some species of Eviota and Trimma are so small that they can be at home on other reef creatures that are small to us. Case in point is this tiny goby, possibly an Eviota, hitching a ride on this gorgeous Bullock’s Hypselodoris nudibranch and making it look rather small.

Whether this is one really tiny Eviota or one really large Hypselodoris nudibranch, the sense of scale between the two creatures is all out of whack when the nano goby starts playing hide and seek around the Nudi’s feathery gills. Perhaps one day we’ll come up with an artificial diet for the delicate nudibranch which will allow for pico and nano marine tanks to display such a cute partnership of fish and mollus.