Species: Bathygobius mystacium, Island Frillfin, Island Frillfin Goby
D: 1-3 stripes, edge yellow
C base: 2 dark spots

Bathygobius mystacium Ginsburg, 1947
Island Frillfin, Island Frillfin Goby
Body robust; head broad, depressed, with pores; snout bluntly rounded; eyes large, close together; mouth moderate sized, relatively horizontal, top jaw 9.2-11 (rarely to 11.7) % of SL; tongue is notched; jaw teeth in bands, without canines; teeth in upper jaw in a narrow band, outermost teeth enlarged, without canines; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VI (none elongate) + I, 8-9; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal I, 7-8; pectoral 18-21, upper 4 (3-5) rays free, silky threads; pelvic fins I, 5, united to form a disc; tail fin rounded; scales large, rough, 35 (33-36) in lateral series, present on midline of nape to well before a line through rear edge of preopercle; no scales on cheek or operculum; no lateral line.
Grayish brown; upper half of body with 3 distinct dark saddles; lower body with a row of 6-7 irregular to squarish, dark, pupil-to eye-sized blotches; 1st dorsal fin with 1-3 dark spotted stripes and a yellow outer edge, sometimes uniform dark in large fish; a large dark blotch on lower 2/3 of tail fin base that joins a small blotch above it on tail base, outer part of tail fin with 3-4 narrow dark bars; yellowish scale edges form zigzag yellow lines along body.
Reaches 7 cm.
Depth range: 0-3 m.
Habitat: shallow sand/rock habitats on the seaward sides of islands.
Florida to Brazil

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Insects
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Insular primarily
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 7
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 3