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Species: Gnatholepis thompsoni, Goldspot goby

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head thick, blunt
mouth under snout
narrow dark bar completely across head through eye
small gold ocellus above pectoral base
pelvics form disc
scales large, rough, on body, cheeks & operculum
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This Species (13) This Genus (1) Similar Species (9)

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Gnatholepis thompsoni Jordan, 1904

Goldspot goby

Head thick, blunt; a pair of pores between front of eyes; mouth slightly under snout, upper jaw ending before pupil of eye; lips moderately fleshy; teeth conical, in upper jaw in several rows, outer enlarged, slender, and recurved,  a single large canine on each side near front; lower jaw similar but with several tusklike canines projecting from side of mouth; front of roof of mouth without teeth; tongue distinctly two-lobed; 4-5 gill rakers; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VI + I,11; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin;  anal fin I, 11; pectoral fin 17; pelvic fins I,5 forming a disk; all of body, top of head, cheek and gill cover with scales, scales large, rough; no lateral line.

Body whitish; a narrow dark bar crossing head above eye and extending below middle of eye; a prominent yellow spot surrounded by incomplete dark ring above pectoral fin base; two indistinct brownish orange stripes, 1st running from behind eye to above pectoral base, 2nd  beginning at front of gill cover and running to pectoral base.

Reaches: 8.2 cm.

Habitat: Open sand bottoms near bases of coral reefs and rock rubble areas.

Depth: 0.5-88 m.

Trans-Atlantic; Bermuda to Brazil.

Note: A study by Larson & Buckle (2012) indicates that G. thompsoni is a valid species, distinct from other Indo-Pacific species in the same genus.

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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Sea anemones
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Omnivore
  • Detritivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Detritus
  • Benthic microalgae
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
Global Endemism
  • Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • Island (s)
  • All species..
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 8.2
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 88