Orange Clingfish
Diplocrepis puniceus
- Usual depth0–11 m
- Water temperature13–18 °C
- Best monthsApril, May, and December
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Luca Davenport-Thomas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Luca Davenport-Thomas · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
The orange clingfish is a clingfish, the only species in the genus Diplocrepis. It is found all around New Zealand from low water to about 5 m (20 ft), on rocky coastlines. This species grows to a length of 12.5 centimetres (4.9 in) SL. It is the only member of its genus, and the only species in the subfamily Diplocrepinae.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Orange clingfish”, 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: 13 records
- February: 14 records
- March: 9 records
- April: 16 records
- May: 18 records
- June: 5 records
- July: 9 records
- August: 9 records
- September: 12 records
- October: 16 records
- November: 8 records
- December: 23 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–11 m · Deepest record: 10.5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 13–18 °C
Photos
(c) Emily Roberts, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Emily Roberts · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Lisa Bennett, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lisa Bennett · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Emily Roberts, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Emily Roberts · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Luca Davenport-Thomas, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Luca Davenport-Thomas, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Christopher Stephens, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Kelvin Perrie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Orange Clingfish
Other scientific names: Lepadogaster puniceus
Similar species
Common Shore-eelAlabes dorsalis
Long-snout ClingfishDiademichthys lineatus
Pygmy Shore EelAlabes parvula
Broad ClingfishAspasmogaster costata
Western Cleaner ClingfishCochleoceps bicolor
Eastern Cleaner-clingfishCochleoceps orientalis
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).
- 86 open-data records from 1910 to 2013.
- Species data updated November 2, 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.