Species: Gobiosoma ginsburgi, Seaboard Goby

Gobiosoma ginsburgi Hildebrand & Schroeder, 1928

Seaboard Goby

Body robust; head rounded, broader than deep, from above appears swollen; snout blunt; a very small barbel at front of eye; 2 pores above opercle; 1 pore between eyes; 3 preopercular pores; anterior nostril a short tube, posterior a raised rim; tongue rounded; no teeth on roof of mouth; upper lip separated from snout by a groove along its top edge; 3 rows of teeth on upper jaw, 5 rows on lower jaw, outer row of teeth enlarged in upper and lower jaws; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII (spines not elongate) + I, 11 (10-12); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 10 (9-11); pectoral fin 18-19 (17-20), oval; pelvic I, 5 all rays branched, disk complete, oval, reaching almost to anus; caudal fin 17 segmented rays, rounded; body naked except for two small rough scales on the tail, scales easily lost; no lateral line.

Head mottled, a dark bar from lower front edge of eye to middle of jaw; cheeks with dark spots; nape with dark and light (narrower) bars; body with indistinct, not entirely straight, alternating light (narrower) and dark bars; flank with a median row of strong dark spots; dorsal fins with extensions of dark bars along base, several stripes of dark dots up to middle of fin; anal fin translucent with two dark stripes along fin; caudal fin with dark narrow bar at base followed by 5-6 bands of light and dark pigmentation, reaching to midpoint of fin.

Size: 6.0 cm.

Habitat: Estuarine to higher salinities, found in association with oyster shells, small rocks, or grass beds, habitat similar to G. bosc, but generally found in deeper waters of higher salinities. Found atop stones or adjacent to stacks of live and dead limpet shells.

Depth: 0-50 m.

Massachusetts to Florida.