Species: Gunterichthys longipenis, Gold Brotula

Gunterichthys longipenis Dawson, 1966

Gold Brotula

Head large, deep, profile flat, snout blunt; eyes very small, distinct; body elongate, compressed, decreasing to slender tail base; front nostril low on snout, closer to lip than is rear nostril, both nostrils with low rims; end of top jaw with 2 small rounded knobs below, well before rear corner; no central tooth patch at bottom of gill arches; large pores along lower and upper jaws, and on top of head, pore at top corner of operculum tubular; 3 pores at lower corner of preoperculum; opercular spine weak, visible; 5-7 elongate rakers on front of first gill arch, remaining rakers are short knobs; dorsal and anal fins separate from tail; dorsal fin origin above middle of pectoral fin, 60-71; anal fin 41-50; pectoral 17-22; tail 12-15; pelvic fins consist of a relatively short filament, inserted under gill cover; lateral line in 2 parts ~14+23 pores; head scaleless; scales small, imbedded, covering body; male copulatory organ with a penis and 1 pair of large pseudoclaspers at its base, all covered by a fleshy hood.

Head and body pale golden yellow; spiny dorsal yellow, with dark speckles; soft dorsal and anal fins mostly blackish brown, with yellow bases and outer edges; tail blackish-brown, with yellow base and rear edge.

Reaches 7.5 cm.

Lives in burrows in mud bottoms in brackish to seawater; lagoons and estuaries.

Depth range: 0-8 m.

The Gulf of Mexico and Colombia.