Species: Elacatinus genie, Cleaner Goby
pale stripes widen on rear body

top lip not joined to snout
Elacatinus genie (Bohlke & Robins, 1968)
Cleaner Goby
Elongate; head compressed; mouth under pointed, shark-like snout; a deep groove separating upper lip and snout; teeth in upper jaw in 1 row, conical, no canines; teeth on lower jaw in three, spaced, transverse rows at front, narrowing to a single series on sides; a single enlarged, recurved canine, near midpoint on anterior, transverse portion of tooth patch in males only; tongue tip slightly emarginate, nearly truncate; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII + I, 11 (10-11); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 10 (10-11); pectoral fins 16-17 (16-18); pelvic fins I, 5, disk complete; tail rounded; no scales; no lateral line.
Dark grey-brown with a narrow bright yellow V on snout that continues as a stripe along mid-side well onto tail fin, stripe becomes whitish towards rear, widens near the second dorsal-fin origin.
Reaches 4.5 cm.
Habitat: Inhabits living coral heads and engages in cleaning behavior. Also found on rock substrate, often under ledges, and on the outer surface of sponges.
Depth: 1-30 m.
Bahamas and Cuba.

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
- Habitat
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- Reef only
- Rocks
- Sponges
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Ectoparasite cleaner
- Diet
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- Data
- Ectoparasites
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Bahamas endemic
- GC endemic
- Island (s)
- Island (s) only
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- 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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- 4.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 30