Species: Varicus vespa, Wasp goby
D2: rows yellow spots + white stripes
pectoral 15-17
pelvic ray 5 < spine
bdlly scaleless
Varicus vespa (Hastings & Bortone, 1981)
Wasp goby
Body compressed; head broad, somewhat flattened; head without pores; papillae on most parts of head and nape; anterior and posterior nostrils tubular, front one longer; tongue tip indented; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII + I, 9; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 6-8; pectoral 15-17; pelvic fins I, 5, completely separate, no membrane between 5th rays, no front membrane between spines, rays 1-4 branched to tips, without flat fleshy pads, 5th ray not branched, much shorter than 4th, < pelvic spine; fins long, reach past anal fin origin; scales in lateral series 9-14, reach to under ray 9-14 of 2nd dorsal, smooth in front, rough at back, 2 large very rough scales on tail base; belly scaleless; no lateral line.
Body pale yellowish, with pinkish tint at front near pectoral base; translucent on rear; four prominent olive, vertical bars on body, top to bottom, becoming darker towards bottom; first bar under mid-spinous dorsal fin, second just posterior to second dorsal-fin origin, third connecting end of second dorsal fin with end of anal fin, fourth at caudal base; several olive saddles on body, all saddles paler than vertical bars, and not extending below midline of body; bright yellow bar extending vertically from eye to angle of jaw; first dorsal fin with a wide, yellow-olive stripe medially and a white stripe distally; second dorsal fin with three rows of yellow-olive spots separated by three white stripes; two vertical bars on tail fin followed at end by a white bar.
Reaches 3.8 cm.
Habitat: reefs.
Depth: 35-183 m.
NE Gulf of Mexico, possibly Guyana.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- Rocks
- Corals
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Zooplankton
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent only
- GC endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Gulf of Mexico endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Not evaluated / Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Depth Range Max
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- 183
- Depth Range Min
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- 35
- Length Max
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- 3.8
