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Species: Microgobius emblematicus, Emblem goby

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

nape - almost no crest
male: D1 long spines
back - dark bars
dark blotch under D1
male: flank- 2 blue stripes; lower C - yellow + red stripe
female: lower rear body pale, lower C - yellow + 2 red stripes

Microgobius emblematicus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)

Emblem Goby

Head and body compressed; fleshy nape crest low and poorly developed in both sexes; 2-3 pores on preopercle; mouth large, nearly vertical; tip of tongue divided; dorsal fin VII (spines IV-VI produced in long filaments in male) + I, 15-17 rays; anal I, 15-17 rays; pectoral fin 18-23 rays; tail fin long, oval; pelvics fused to form disc; midlateral scales 50-75; scales all smooth; head, nape, breast, belly, and pectoral fin base scaleless.

Both sexes light brown; belly cream colored; side of head with 2 blue stripes (separated by orange), top one extending forward under eye; flank with diffuse dark midlateral stripe; a diffuse dark blotch under first dorsal fin and 4 diffuse dark bars on upper back; base of pectoral fin with a blue spot; pelvics yellowish to reddish, with blackish margins. Male: dark flank stripe bounded above and below by blue in belly area; a red stripe on tail fin below center, lower part of fin yellow; second dorsal fin dusky reddish, with a blue central stripe and a pale margin; anal fin dusky red, with yellowish margin. Female: body pale below midline above anal fin; second dorsal dark with oblique central pale stripe and a pale margin; anal fin with dark center, pale base and margin; tail fin with 2 red stripes, one in center, the other below, lower part of fin yellow.

Size: to 6.4 cm.

Inhabits sand or mud-broken shell bottoms in estuaries and mangroves.

Depth: 0-6 m.

Southern Baja and the mouth of the Gulf of California to northern Peru.


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Salinity
  • Non Marine
  • Brackish
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Estuary
  • Mangrove
  • Soft bottom only
  • Sand & gravel
  • Mud
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • No Data
  • Planktivore
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • No Data
  • Pelagic fish eggs
  • Zooplankton
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent only
  • 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic
  • Continent
  • All species
  • TEP endemic
  • Continental TEP endemic
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 6.4
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 6