Species: Gobionellus oceanicus, Highfin Goby, Sharptail Goby, Slim Goby

Gobionellus oceanicus (Pallas, 1770)

Highfin Goby, Slim Goby, Sharptail Goby

Elongate, compressed; snout sharply rounded; front nostril tubular; rear nostril a pit; large eyes, high on sides of head; between eyes narrow to moderately broad; a single pore between eyes; mouth opens at front, strongly oblique; teeth on both jaws conical, fine and numerous, 1-3 rows on top jaw (inner row may be strongly curved), 2-3 rows on bottom jaw, no large canines near front of bottom jaw; front of roof of mouth without teeth; preopercle canal with 3 pores; numerous elongate gill rakers; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VI (spines II-IV elongate) + I,13 (12-14); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 14 (13-14); pectoral fin 19 (18-20); pelvic I, 5, disk complete; tail fin long and pointed; scales rough, body completely scaled, 57-89 small rough scales in lateral series; nape scaled, rest of head scaleless; no lateral line.

Light brown, darker on top of head and along bases of dorsal fins; a dark bar angled down and forwards from eye; cheek is greenish silver; lower body silvery, with fine oblique dark bars directed down and back; a large elongate, silver-green ocellated dark blotch on the trunk above the midline and under the first dorsal fin, with smaller ocellated spots before and behind it; a triangular silver patch on the gill cover; a dark blotch on pectoral fin base; a black spot on the base of the tail fin.

Reaches: 30 cm.

Habitat: Found in estuarine bays, tidal streams, brackish marshes and muddy inshore and off shore bottoms.

Depth: 0-45 m.

Virginia to Suriname.

Nota: With a sister species in Brazil, G. stomatus.