Species: Microgobius microlepis, Banner Goby

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 northwest Caribbean.