Species: Microgobius gulosus, Clown Goby

Microgobius gulosus (Girard, 1858)

Clown Goby

Head and body compressed; no crest on nape in either sex; narrow between eyes; 2 pores on preopercle, no pore between front of eyes; mouth large, ~30 degrees from horizontal, upper jaw greatly enlarged (>15% SL) in males; tip of tongue divided; no teeth on front of roof of mouth; lower jaw with 8 canines in outer row; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII, spines III-VI produced as filaments in both sexes, longest reaching midpoint of soft-dorsal fin, only slightly elongated in females + I, 14-17 rays; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 15-18 rays; pectoral fin 21-22 (19-24); pelvic fins I, 5, fused to form disc; tail fin long, oval; scales small, smooth or slightly rough; body scaled from rear forward to tip of depressed pectoral fin, head scaleless; lateral scale rows 44-54; no lateral line.

Males: Body above midline with 2-3 irregular rows of 8-9 dusky-brown blotches; body pale below midline; pearlescent vertical bar on body behind pectoral fin; head dusky with two oblique pearlescent stripes below eye, meeting at the top corner of the opercle; spinous dorsal-fin dusky with dark blotches on base of membranes over corresponding blotches on body; soft dorsal-fin with four to five dark basal blotches over corresponding blotches on body; anal-fin dusky; tail fin dusky with darker margin, and hyaline sub-marginal stripe; pectoral fins pale, mottled along base; pelvic fins dusky pale. Females: similar to males except; body blotches better defined and contrasted; spinous dorsal-fin with two to three dark blotches on base over corresponding blotches on body; soft dorsal-fin with four to five dark blotches along base over corresponding blotches on body; three irregular row of spots on inter-radial membranes and a dusky distal margin; tail-fin with four to five irregular, diagonal rows of dark spots in upper half, dusky lower half

Reaches: 7.5 cm.

Habitat: prefers muddy bottoms; occupy a wide range of salinity, though found mostly in reduced salinity and often in freshwater and estuarine habitats.

Depth: 1.5-5 m.

Maryland south throughout the Gulf of Mexico.