Genus: Varicus, Deepwater Goby, Gobies

VARICUS

GOBIES

Body short; head large, narrow, no pores; both nostrils tubular; a groove across top of front lip; tongue bilobed; gill opening restricted to length of pectoral fin base; gill membranes with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII   + I, 8-10;  length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I,  7-9 (rarely 6, in one species); pelvic fins I, 5, highly variable among species,  completely separate, no membrane between 5th rays, no front membrane between spines, rays 1-4 unbranched, branched internally and refused with pointed fleshy pads, or branched to tips with flat, spatulate fleshy tips, 5th ray unbranched, fins long, extend to or beyond anal fin origin; body with scales in all but one species, base of tail fin with large, rough scales in all but one species; no lateral line; color pattern typically with yellow spots on body, yellow spots and stripes on fins.

A Greater Caribbean genus with 10 endemic species.