Species: Elacatinus oceanops, Neon Goby

Elacatinus oceanops Jordan, 1904

Neon Goby

Elongate; head compressed; mouth under overhanging snout, shark-like; upper lip connected to snout; upper jaw with a single row of conical teeth, in stockade fence fashion, no enlarged, canine-like teeth; lower jaw with 3-4 rows at front, narrowing to a single row on sides, two or three greatly enlarged, recurved canines on inner row; tongue tip slightly emarginated to truncate; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII + I, 11-12 (10-13); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 11-12 (9-13); pectoral fins 17 (16-18); pelvic fins I,5, disk complete, relatively short (15.6% of SL); tail rounded, 13 (12-14, rarely 12) branched rays; no scales; no lateral line.

Dark blue-black; an iridescent broad blue stripe along body from a little in front of eyes (but not meeting across snout, and no pale center on snout) to near the end of the tail fin; no pale grey stripe separating blue stripe and black of back; dark lower stripe wide, extends to end of tail fin.

Reaches: 5.0 cm

Habitat: Found associated with coral heads and on rock substrate, occasionally found on the outer surface of large sponges.

Depth: 1-40 m

Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico

Note: Very similar to E. lobeli.