Species: Ctenogobius saepepallens, Dash Goby

Ctenogobius saepepallens (Gilbert & Randall, 1968)

Dash Goby

Body elongate, slightly compressed; eyes large, towards front, narrow between them; tongue emarginated to bilobed; teeth in both jaws in 2-3 rows, 2-3 large slightly recurved canines on each side of outer row near middle of lower jaw; front of roof of mouth without teeth; gill rakers short, triangular 0 + 4-5; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VI (3rd spine elongate in male) + I, 11 (10-12); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 12 (11-12); pectoral fins 15-17(13-17); pelvic fins I, 5, united in a disc; scales on body rough, 31 (28-36) in lateral series; no lateral line.

Translucent; with reddish brown mottling on upper side; thin black bar under eye, which may continue through eye and across between eyes; a triangular dark blotch on operculum ringed with pale blue; edge of preoperculum not distinctly darker; mid-side with a row of 5 black streaks (last one a spot at end of tail base), sometimes with elongate black blotches as well; upper body sometimes with an irregular cross-hatch pattern of dark lines along scale edges; upper edge of tail fin and tip of 1st dorsal of male yellow.

Reaches: 5.0 cm.

Habitat: Sand bottoms; lives in snapping-shrimp burrows.

Depth: 0-45

Florida to Brazil.