Cryptocentrus altipinna is a fresh new species of small watchman goby from the eastern Indian Ocean around Thailand and Sri Lanka. This smaller species of watchman has a beautiful rosy pink spotted face very similar to the pink spotted watchman, Cryptocentrus leptocephalus, but C. altipinna is actually quite different from the fish we’re used to.
Besides a completely different natural distribution, Cryptocentrus altipinna has more even distribution of pink coloration which is quite spotted in the dorsal fins, but becomes irregular in the body and striped in the tail and anal fin. There is a varying degree of small metallic blue spots along the body not unlike the closely related speckled shrimpgoby, Cryptocentrus caeruleomaculatus.
Also, as the latin name implies this species was given the common name of ‘highfin shrimpgoby’ goby due to a significantly tall first dorsal fin in mature specimens of both males and females. This is a rather small, but not quite nano, species of Cryptocentrus goby which grows to only 60mm long, or just a touch over two inches in total length. [JOSF]
