SANDDIVERS - TRICHOMOTIDAE Sanddivers have a long and slender body. Their dorsal fin starts behind the head and runs down to the tail fin. They hover in groups above the substrate. The solitary living specimen rest on the substrate most of the time and often buried in sand, with only the head exposed. When feeling threatened, they disappear very quick into the sandy bottom. The males are territorial and have their own harem. All Trichonotus specimen feed on plankton. Length: 15 cm. Distribution: from Sulawesi in Indonesia to Papua New Guinea. Similar to Trichonotus setiger. Yellow-brown with numerous gold to pale blue spots on body, pinkish under-body. 8 to 9 dark brown saddles on back. Males with 1 or 2 ocellus on dorsal fin, and 5 to 6 long dorsal fin rays. In schools, on sand flats and slopes with strong current, from -11 to -35 m. Dives into the sand when approached.