Cryptic Triplefin

Cryptichthys jojettae

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth4–15 m
Water temperature12–18 °C
Best monthsApril, August, and November
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) Luca Davenport-Thomas, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The cryptic triplefin is a species of triplefin in the family Tripterygiidae. It is found around the coast of New Zealand and is the only member of the monotypic genus Cryptichthys. It length is up to 6 cm. The specific name honours a former staff member at the National Museum of New Zealand, Jojette Drost, who participated in collecting specimens with Hardy.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Cryptic triplefin”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 5 records
February: 3 records
March: 2 records
April: 11 records
May: 4 records
June: 1 records
July: 2 records
August: 11 records
September: 3 records
October: 6 records
November: 16 records
December: 3 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 4–15 m · Deepest record: 27 m

0–10 m: 14 records
10–20 m: 6 records
20–30 m: 2 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 12–18 °C

12–14 °C: 2 records
14–16 °C: 0 records
16–18 °C: 19 records
18–20 °C: 1 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Cryptic Triplefin, Tiger Blenny

Similar species

Aotearoa Triplefin
Bellapiscis medius
Blackthroat Triplefin
Enneapterygius atrogulare
Enneapterygius etheostoma
Black-cheek Threefin
Enneapterygius rufopileus
Highfin Threefin
Enneapterygius tutuilae
Common Threefin
Forsterygion lapillum

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
22 open-data records from 1987 to 2013.
Species data updated November 1, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist