Species: Microgobius meeki, Meek’s Goby

Microgobius meeki Evermann & Marsh, 1899

Meek’s Goby

Head and body compressed; a fleshy crest on nape in both sexes, lower in male; 2 pores on preopercle, no pore between front of eyes; mouth large, ~40 degrees from horizontal, upper jaw slightly larger in males than in females; tip of tongue divided; no teeth on front of roof of mouth; lower jaw with 7-9 enlarged teeth in outer row; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII, II-VI produced into filaments in males (longest reaching tail fin base or beyond), filaments only slightly produced in females, + I, 16 (15-17) rays; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 15-17 rays; pectoral fins 21-22 (19-23); pelvic fins I, 5, fused to form disc; tail fin long, pointed, ~41% of SL; scales small, mostly rough; body scaled from rear forward to tip of depressed pectoral fin, head scaleless; lateral scale rows 45-60; no lateral line.

Males: body light dusky brown, slightly darker on top; body with a dark blotch below dorsal-fin origin, bordered anteriorly and posteriorly by pale blue areas, a blue stripe along the upper flank to the base of the tail fin; top of body below dorsal fin base marked with 6 dashes; pectoral base and head slightly darker than body with larger speckles; cheek and opercle with 2 irregular oblique blue lines; dorsal fins dusky, first dorsal heavily stippled with brown dots, a pale stripe basally, darker distally; anal fin dusky with pale margin; tail-fin dusky with narrow dark marginal stripe on top and bottom. Females: similar to males except; bottom of body above anal fin pale; spot on body below dorsal-fin origin very well-defined, bordered by pale blue bars, which are bordered by narrow dark bars; spinous dorsal fin dusky, often with small spot on first, third or fourth interradial membranes; soft dorsal fin dusky with median pale stripe; top half of tail-fin with several large pale spots.

Reaches: 5.5 cm.

Habitat: shallow, mud-bottoms and mangrove areas.

Depth: 1-10 m.

Puerto Rico to Santos, Brazil.