Species: Microgobius curtus, Low-crested goby

both sexes - long D spines

Microgobius curtus Ginsburg, 1939
Low-crested goby
Head and body compressed; low fleshy crest on nape present or absent in both sexes; 2-3 pores on preopercle; mouth large, nearly vertical; tip of tongue divided; dorsal fin VII (in both sexes 2nd to 5th spines very long, extending to middle of soft dorsal) + I, 15-17 rays; anal I, 16-17 rays; pectoral fin 20-22 rays; tail fin long, oval or pointed (in males); pelvics fused to form disc; scales on body from pectoral axil rearwards, in 62-78 lateral rows; patch of rough scales on flank behind base of pectoral fin, remaining scales smooth.
Male body yellowish-green; central flank above belly blue-white overlaid by orange spots, and a faint dusky blotch under front of spinous dorsal; cheeks and opercle with blue stripes and orange spots; dorsal fins with 2-4 rows of oange spots, outer margin of second dorsal orange; anal fin yellow to brown, with whitish margin; tail fin yellowish to reddish below, with rows reddish spots above, with an orange marginal stripe above and a reddish one below; pectoral base with orange spots; pelvics dusky yellow. Female yellow-green with 3 narrow pale bars (the first one blue) under spinous dorsal; pectoral base with 2 large blue spots; a cluster of yellow-orange spots behind eye and above pectoral base; base of tail (behind anus) abruptly paler than body; dorsal and tail fins similar to those of male; pelvics whitish; anal darker basally.
Size: 5.5 cm.
Habitat: mangroves with mud bottom.
Depth: 0-6 m.
El Salvador to northern Peru.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Non Marine
- Brackish
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Estuary
- Soft bottom only
- Mud
- Mangrove
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- No Data
- Planktivore
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Zooplankton
- Pelagic fish larvae
- No Data
- Egg Type
-
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Benthic
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- East Pacific endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- TEP endemic
- All species
- Continent only
- Continental TEP endemic
- Continent
- Panamic province endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 5.5
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 6