Species: Lythrypnus crocodilus, Mahogany Goby

Lythrypnus crocodilus (Beebe & Tee-Van, 1928)

Mahogany Goby

Body relatively deep, compressed; head compressed, profile round; head without pores; papillae around mouth, on cheeks and operculum and over eye; front nostril a long tube, rear nostril a raised rim; mouth very oblique; tongue round to blunt; gill opening narrow, ~pectoral base; 5-7 gill rakers; gill membranes with 5 rays; dorsal fin VI (none elongate) + I, 9 (8-9); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 8; pectoral fin 15 (15-16), rays unbranched; pelvics fused into disc; tail fin short, round, with 17 segmented rays; scales rough, body scaled except chest and pectoral base, 24 (22-25) lateral rows, none on head and nape; no lateral line.

Body white, with dark brown or black bars (without a pale centerline), pale interspaces with dark center line, equal to or wider than dark bars; 2 bars or rows of spots under eye; spots on head and pectoral fin base same color as dark bars; first and second dorsal and anal fins dark orange-red with scattered black spots; tail fin salmon pink; a dark spot covering entire pectoral fin base and extending forwards onto body, pectoral fin clear with slight tinge of pink on bottom portion of upper rays; pelvic fin clear.

Reaches 1.5 cm.

Depth range: 1.2-23 m.

Taken from well developed coral, spur and groove habitats, in shallow open areas with surge.

Tthe Bahamas to the S Caribbean.