Species: Lythrypnus elasson, Dwarf Goby

Lythrypnus elasson Bohlke & Robins, 1960

Dwarf Goby

Body relatively deep, compressed; head compressed, profile round; high crest on nape extending from or just before dorsal to between eyes; head without pores; papillae around mouth, on cheeks and operculum and over eye; front nostril a long tube, rear nostril a raised rim; mouth oblique, opens at front; tongue truncate to broadly rounded; teeth in upper jaw in a wide band, outer row of enlarged conical teeth; gill opening narrow, ~pectoral base; gill membranes with 5 rays; dorsal fin VI, 1st 2 spines elongate in both sexes + I,9; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 9; pectoral fin 17-19 (16-20); pelvic fins I, 5 disk complete; tail fin short, round, with 17 segmented rays; scales rough, body scaled except chest and pectoral base, 25-26 lateral rows, none on head and nape; no lateral line.

Uniform dark red-grey; dark stripes from back of eye to second dorsal fin; upper half of the body, with four dark blotches along midside; larger individuals solid dark brown or black. Female - pale, upper head and body mottled with blotches of olive-brown to red-brown, cheeks and operculum with 3-4 rows of orange spots radiating down from eye; pectoral base with 2 orange spots; tail finwith wavy bars, other fins uniform; male - more extensive dark mottling, 1st dorsal black + orange blotches at rear, dark violet to black when breeding; juveniles with brown blotches at rear & pale stripes at front, pale blotch bordered at front by dark bar on outer 1/2 of 1st dorsal.

Reachs 2 cm.

Found in coral reefs or isolated coral heads, generally under ledges.

Depth range: 10-152 m.

Gulf of Mexico to the S Caribbean.