These were found on muck sites at Puri Jati, Amed and in the Tulamben area. There seems to be quite a bit of variation in this species, or perhaps there are other as yet unrecognized species involved. The one distinction between S. cyanopterus and S. armatus that is fairly easy to see is that length of the caudal peduncle of the latter is supposed to be 3 to 4 times its height. Another possible species to compare is Solenostomus paegnius. While the latter is listed as valid in WORMS, Fishbase and iNaturalist, Orr et al (2002) state that "Orr and Fritzsche (1993) examined the holotype of S. paegnius and determined that it is S. cyanopterus." It sounds as though the genus needs some rework.
Created 23 March 2023
Updated 13 July 2024