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Species: Psilotris laetarii, Burrow Splitfin Goby

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white + yellow reticulum & black dots
D 3-5 orange stripes; C 5 orange bars
no scales
pelvic ray 5 unbranched, short
D2 10; A 7-8

Psilotris laetarii Van Tassell & Young, 2016

Burrow Splitfin Goby

Body slightly compressed; head rounded; no head pores; front nostril tubular, rear nostril a raised rim or short tube; teeth at front of mouth in several rows, outer row enlarged; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII (none elongate) + I, 10 (9-10); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 8 (7-8); pectoral 15-16; pelvic fins I, 5 completely separate, no frenum between spines or membrane connecting inner rays, rays 1-4 branched, without fleshy or flattened tips, 5th ray unbranched, ½ length of 4th, fins extend ¾ way to anus; tail fin oval; scales absent; no lateral line.

Head and body whitish; head with 3 orange-yellow lines, down under eye, back to corner of preoperculum, from eye to top corner of operculum, top of head with orange-yellow reticulum; body with a reticulum of orange-yellow lines, lightening posteriorly; head and body with numerous black dots, those darker on yellow-orange marks; 1st dorsal fin with 3 thin, oblique orange-yellow stripes, 2nd dorsal with 5 oblique stripes; tail fin translucent, with 5 thin vertical orange bars; anal and pelvic fins unpigmented; pectoral fin translucent, base white, with an orange-yellow spot at top.

Reaches 3 cm

Lives on sand and rubble bottoms, in or adjacent to burrows of the Yellowhead jawfish, Opistognathus aurifrons.

Depth range 8-10 m.

Known only from SE Florida.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Planktivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • GC endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Data deficient
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 3
Depth Range Min
  • 8
Depth Range Max
  • 10