Species: Microgobius microlepis, Banner goby

under eye: oblique blue bar, opercle blue bar/spots
eye to end C dark stripe

scales mostly rough
Microgobius microlepis Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
Banner goby
Head and body compressed; a fleshy crest on nape in both sexes, lower in male; 3 pores on preopercle, no pore between front of eyes; mouth large, nearly vertical; tip of tongue divided; no teeth on front of roof of mouth; lower jaw with 5-6 enlarged teeth in outer row; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII, spines II-VI elongate in both sexes, longest reaching the base of the fourth element of the second dorsal fin, + I, 17-18 rays; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 18 (rarely19) rays; pectoral fin 20-23; pelvic fins I, 5, fused to form disc; tail fin long, oval; scales small, mostly rough; body scaled from rear forward to tip of depressed pectoral fin, head scaleless; lateral scale rows 68-78; no lateral line.
Males: body pale blue-grey with greenish cast on top; no dark spots on body or fins; cheek below eye with three iridescent blue stripes, pale orange stripes between; pale orange stripe connecting anterior margin of eye with upper lip; chin and nuchal crest both with rosy cast; opercle dusky orange with iridescent blue bar or spot; lower half of spinous dorsal fin rosy orange; anal fin pale yellow near body, becoming orange distally; tail fin with orange cast, a greenish-yellow stripe across the top rays, continues with band on dorsal fins. Females: similar to males except: bottom of body above anal fin white; belly with rosy cast; a dark grey stripe along mid flank, an oblique dark grey bar angled back and down on body behind belly; chin whitish; soft dorsal pale with rosy-orange base; anal fin with rosy cast; tail fin with median, dusky rose stripe and similar stripe below that, originating at the bottom of the base of the fin, and running diagonally to the fin’s margin.
Reaches: 5.0 cm.
Habitat: Builds burrows in the calcareous bottom sediments of inshore waters.
Depth: 1.5-5 m.
Florida to the central E Caribbean.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Mud
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Zooplankton
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- GC endemic
- Island (s)
- All species..
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Depth Range Max
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- 5
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Length Max
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- 5