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Species: Gonodactylus platysoma

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Click on any image to see an enlargement. All photos © 2005 Roy Caldwell.

Common name: None

Functional type: Smasher

Range: French Polynesia to western Indian Ocean

Habitat: Reef flats

Depth: Low intertidal to 2 m

Home: Cavity in rubble or bench

Diet: Generalist; snails and hermits common in diet

Size: 8–90 mm

Color: Light tan, cream, green or brown mottled; meral spot mottled

Distinguishing Characters: Dark blue and orange patches on side of fifth abdominal segment

Activity: Diurnal, closes cavity at night

Aquarium Requirements:

Temperature: 22–28° C

Salinity: 33–35 PSU

Cohabitants: Will feed on small snails and crabs

Aquarium size (adult): 20 l

Aquarium substrate: Sand and gravel, coral rubble, cavity

Suitability for Aquarium: Good; not very interactive, but hardy

Availability: Occasionally found in shipments from Indonesia and the Philippines

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External Anatomy and Explanatory Notes