Genus: Elacatinus, Cleaner Gobies, Cleaner Goby, Gobies

ELACATINUS

GOBIES, CLEANER GOBIES

Elongate; head compressed; upper lip may be connected to snout at front; a pore midway between front of the two eyes; 2 pores on preopercle; no teeth on roof of mouth; tongue with blunt tip; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII + I, 9-12 (rarely 13); length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; pelvic fins fused in a disc; tail rounded; no scales; color pattern with dark body and a neon-bright stripe from the head backwards; no lateral line.

A neotropical genus with 24 species; 19 species in our area, all endemics.