Species: Gobiosoma robustum, Code Goby

Gobiosoma robustum Ginsburg, 1933

Code Goby

Body robust, head rounded, wider than deep; a tiny barbel before the front of they eye; 1 pore between eyes; usually no pore over gill cover; 3 preopercular pores; upper lip separated from snout by a groove along its top edge; tongue rounded; outer row of teeth in both jaws enlarged, lower jaw with some canines, none in upper jaw; no teeth on roof of mouth; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII (rarely VI-VIII), spines not elongate + I, 11 (10-12); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 9 (8-10); pectoral fins 16-17 (15-18), oval; pelvic fins I, 5, fused in a round disc extending ¾ distance to anus; tail fin with 16-18 branched rays, rounded; no scales; no lateral line.

Head mottled, darker on top, a dark bar from front of eye to middle of top lip, another from rear of eye to rear of top jaw; body with 9 darker bars alternating with lighter thin bars, not sharply delimited on the edges, lighter bars often incomplete, dark bars not uniformly pigmented, mottled with light and dark shades; a series of small dark spots and longitudinal streaks along mid-flank; color variable and can be very light or dark in appearance without noticeable bands; dorsal fins with body bars extending on to fins; first dorsal with 3 parallel oblique stripes; second dorsal with 3-4 thin stripes; pectoral fin dusky with a dark spot on upper pectoral fin base; anal fin dusky with a light outer edge; pelvic fin dusky; caudal fin dusky, base with 3 dark markings at upper, lower and midpoint of base, 6-7 thin vertical bands reducing in intensity posteriorly.

Size: 5.0 cm.

Habitat - Estuarine and coastal habitats.

Depth: 0-9 m.

E Florida through the Gulf of Mexico.

Notes: Very similar to Gobiosoma bosc, all characters overlap.