Trimma are the quintessential nano reef fish that is bound to show up on the planning board when it comes to stocking up a small tank. Over the years the Trimma gobies are gaining popularity and more and more species are being offered to nano reef enthusiasts. The already extensive genus is also continually expanding with new species being described ever so often.
But wait, there’s more. There’s still so many more species out there that has yet to be described, and even more species out there that have the potential to make stunning aquarium specimens. A browse through several japanese dive blogs reveal a handful of brilliant looking, yet currently unknown Trimmas, such as the beautiful red striped one above.
It’s not all that surprising. It’s tough for such a minuscule fish to garner any attention on the reef, especially if they are found in deepwater or hiding amongst rock and coral heads – which many of them do. Underwater macro photographers have probably seen more undescribed Trimma than ichthyologists. Many Trimma species are small yet ornately marked and coloured, and make excellent subject for macro photography. It is probably for this reason that so many undescribed species are being shot in such high standard pictures, yet at the same time still remain unknown to science.
Then there’s that whole group of Trimma that are described yet unknown to the masses of aquarist. There are maybe only slightly a dozen or more species being offered for sale, and many times more that are not. Trimma flavatrum for example, a beautiful species described by Winterbottom in 2007, but has not been offered before. This species is found in the waters of Japan and Australia, swimming upside down in caves or overhangs alongside T. tevegae.
Another thing that makes Trimma species so interesting is their diversity of form. They come in all colour combinations, as well as shapes. Some have very beautiful dorsal fin extensions such as this Trimma caudomaculatum. A dedicated nano reef designed to house Trimma species would be enough of a reason to start planning your collection now.
Others such as Trimma hoesei have beautiful forked tails with trailing lobes. For that reason, T. hoesei is a unique species within the genus. However it has not been offered to the trade, and most likely never will. On the bright side, there are still many beautiful species that can be found and those are more than enough if you ever wanted to create a Trimma only genus tank. If you happen to have a spare tank lying in your garage or house, maybe give it a try.
