Species: Elacatinus oceanops, Northern neon goby
blue stripe: before eye to ~end C
no pale grey stripe above blue stripe
top lip joined to snout
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.
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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- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- Sponges
- Rocks
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Ectoparasite cleaner
- Data
- Diet
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- Ectoparasites
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Continent only
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 5
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 40
