Two-striped Goby Valenciennea helsdingenii

This goby that looks as if it has ill-fitting false teeth is usually known as the Two-striped Goby. Other gobies have the same or similar names (eg Eviota bifasciata, two-stripe pygmy goby), and this one has other, less common names: the Railway Sleeper Goby and the Black-lined Sleeper Goby (the lines are red brown).

The Two-striped Goby is native to reefs of Indian and western Pacific Oceans, from Africa to Japan/Australia. They have two parallel red-brown lines along the flank from snout to tail, a black spot on the dorsal fin and grow to 18-25cm (6 inches) long.

It behaves like the South American Eartheater cichlids, sucking up mouthfuls of sand or small gravel to filter for tiny invertebrates and organic debris, then exhales the silt. It also constructs burrows.