Fun Trimma Cana Facts For Kids

Trimma cana, the scientific name for Candy cane pygmy goby, is a goby fish belonging to the family Gobiidae, which mostly consists of bony fish of a small or medium size. This species was discovered by Winterbottom R. in 2004. It is called a Candy cane pygmy goby because of the red and white stripes on its body that resemble a candy cane. They are a benthic fish species, which means that they mostly live at the bottom of the ocean to a certain depth. This species is found among the outer side of corals or steep coral reefs of the western Pacific Ocean, where they are dependent on invertebrates like krill and Mysis shrimp, and zooplankton for their food. They have a wide geographical range and are abundantly found from Palau, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, and a number of other countries. Although they are rare in the aquarium trade, they can be made to adapt to an aquarium and are sure to be a great addition to any kind of aquarium, whether it is a reef or fish-only aquarium.

For more interesting facts about other fish, check out our ornate butterflyfish facts and pinfish fun facts for kids pages, here at Kidadl.

What type of animal is a Trimma cana?

The Trimma cana is a type of fish.

What class of animal does a Trimma cana belong to?

Discovered and named by Winterbottom R., the Trimma cana is a member of the class Actinopterygii, family Gobiidae, and genus Trimma, which mostly consists of gobies.

How many Trimma cana are there in the world?

Data regarding the total number of these gobies are not yet available, but they are said to be present in large numbers across their range, especially in the Philippines and Palau.

Where does a Trimma cana live?

This fish species is found in the western Pacific Ocean, and among the corals and reefs of Australia, Indonesia, Palau, the Philippines, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Fiji. It can be found in the depth range of 40-115 ft (12-35 m).

What is a Trimma cana's habitat?

These small gobies are benthic species or bottom-dwellers and are generally found to live on the surface of hard or stony corals that are located on the steep outer reef slopes.

As pet fish, they are initially shy and thus, will need an aquarium that contains many hiding places, which could be provided by a live rock structure. This rock structure could also act as an additional food source for the gobies. These fish are also found to do well in a reef aquarium or a fish-only aquarium. Their tank size should ideally be at least 10 gal (45 l).

Who do Trimma cana live with?

The Trimma cana can live independently or in a small group. They are not an aggressive fish species and thus, their tankmates should be selected carefully. A fish more aggressive than the Trimma cana can intimidate it and make it hard for them to survive in the aquarium. Some of these species can be groupers, angelfish, dottybacks, and triggerfish.

How long does a Trimma cana live?

Though their lifespan in their natural habitat is not known, they can live up to two years in an aquarium, if given proper care and food.

How do they reproduce?

Not much is known about the reproduction process of this fish species other than the fact that they reproduce by sexual reproduction. Other species in their family reproduce by laying their eggs on a hard substrate, after which both the male and female fish protect and care for the eggs until they hatch.

What is their conservation status?

This species of gobies is commonly found within its range. It is considered rare in the aquarium trade and does not have any other threats to its population. The range of this species also falls within certain marine protected areas and therefore, it is categorized as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.

What does a Trimma cana look like?

Named after a popular type of candy, the Candy cane pygmy goby has alternating and vertical red and white stripes on its body, a color scheme that is common among the gobies of its Genus Gobiidae. It is a small fish that does not grow to a great length or size. Its eyes are large and prominent, with gold borders. The fins of these small gobies are often tinged with yellow or have yellow spots.

How cute are they?

This species of small red and white gobies can be considered somewhat cute, but its overall look can come across to be quite gaunt.

How do they communicate?

These are shy and docile fish species and tend to hide from predators or aggressive fish among the hard corals and on the outer steep slopes of their habitat in the Pacific Ocean. Besides that, there is not much information available about how this species communicates with other fish.

How big is a Trimma cana?

This species is one of the smaller gobies and thus, its body length lies between 0.9-1.1 in (2.5-3 cm). The length of a round goby, a fish from the same family, is 11 times the length of the Trimma cana.

How fast can a Trimma cana swim?

The exact speed with which these fish can swim is not known, but it is reported to be an active swimmer.

How much does a Trimma cana weigh?

There is no data available concerning the weight of this particular species of pygmy gobies.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for the males and females of this species.

What would you call a baby Trimma cana?

There are no species-specific names for a baby Candy cane pygmy goby (Trimma cana). However, in general, young fish who have just hatched out of their eggs can be referred to as fry.

What do they eat?

The Candy cane pygmy goby mostly feeds on zooplankton such as water fleas and pods but may also eat invertebrates like krill, Mysis shrimp, and brine shrimp in an aquarium. These can be given to them in live or frozen form. However, when kept as pets, it is best to keep them in an aquarium that has a sufficient amount of micro food like zooplankton for the gobies to be able to find their food themselves. This can be done by keeping them in a reef aquarium or having a live rock structure.

Are they dangerous?

No, these pygmy gobies are not dangerous to human beings. In fact, they are shy and docile creatures.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, the Candy cane pygmy gobies can be acclimated to an aquarium fairly easily, as long as care is taken regarding their tankmates, water quality, tank size, and diet. However, they are very rare in the aquarium trade, and so they might be hard to come by for someone to adopt as a pet for their reef or fish-only aquarium.

Did you know...

The Trimma cana are hermaphrodites. This means that these fish can change their sex from male to female or vice versa over a time period of several days to weeks. This usually happens when a smaller-sized male cannot find a female as most females prefer bigger-sized males. The smaller male can then transform into a female and carry out reproduction. Most species of wrasses are also capable of changing their sex.

What are the other names of Trimma cana?

The Trimma cana is known by a couple of common names other than the Candy cane pygmy goby, such as a red-striped goby and a Candy cane dwarf goby. All these names point to its red and white striped scales that resemble candy canes, the candy usually associated with the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas!

Is Trimma cana reef safe?

Yes, this species of pygmy gobies can be put in a reef aquarium as its natural habitat is associated with corals, that is, it lives on the outer reef slopes in the western Pacific Ocean. The fish will not harm the corals or a significant amount of invertebrates, but the reef can become a supplemental food source as it may provide the gobies with zooplankton such as cyclops or pods.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! To know more about other fish, check out our blue catfish facts and giant trevally fact for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our free printable trimma cana coloring pages.