Modicus tangaroa is a clingfish of the family Gobiesocidae, found only around New Zealand where it occurs on coarse substrates consisting of shell fragments and bryozoa at depths of 20m-149mm (70feet-489feetm). This species was described by Grahma S Hardy in 1983 from types collected from the research vessel Tangoroa over the Ranfurly Bank, East Cape in New Zealand, the species was named after the vessel.[1]