Species: Ctenogobius shufeldti, Freshwater Goby

Ctenogobius shufeldti (Jordan & Eigenmann, 1887)

Freshwater Goby

Elongate, compressed body; snout round; eyes large, towards front, narrow between them; a broad low keel on nape in front of dorsal fin; mouth slightly oblique, opens at front, lower jaw slightly included inside upper jaw when mouth is closed; teeth in several rows on each jaw, inner row of top row much larger, curved, outer teeth slightly enlarged, and recurved in male; lower jaw with large recurved canines in outer mid-lateral row; front of roof of mouth without teeth; gill rakers short, triangular 0 + 4-5; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VI (none elongate) + I, 11 (rarely 10 or 12); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 12 (rarely 11 or 13); pectoral fins 17-18; pelvic fins I, 5, fused to form a disc; tail fin long and pointed; body with rough scales, except 7 partly imbedded smooth scales on nape before dorsal fin; 35-40 longitudinal scales; no lateral line.

Pale tan to translucent; a dark stripe from corner of mouth to center of preopercle; preoperculum edge not distinctly darker; lower corner of operculum with a dark blotch; 5 rectangular dark blotches along mid-flank; pelvic fins of male with a dark streak along each innermost ray, fin plain in female; dorsal fins with oblique dotted bars; tail fin with ~6 wavy indistinct bars.

Reaches 10.7 cm.

Lives in low salinity upper estuarine marshes; also in freshwater.

Depth range: 0-5 m.

N Carolina to the SW Gulf of Mexico; the southern Caribbean to Brazil.