Species: Microdesmus dipus, Banded worm-goby, Scrawled worm-goby, Translucent worm-fish


pectoral 11-13
Microdesmus dipus Günther, 1864
Scrawled worm-goby, Translucent worm-fish, Banded worm-goby
Slender, wormlike, body height 7% of SL; tail (without fin) slightly < 50% of SL; eyes small but not tiny, not skin covered, on side of head; lower jaw strongly projecting, with small fleshy lump at chin; mouth small, lips thin, with small flanges at sides; teeth tiny, even, close-set, in 2 irregular rows; gill opening large (not tubular), length ~ equal to base of pectoral; dorsal fin spines evenly spaced, XVI-XVIII, 36-41, origin 1/3 of pectoral length behind pectoral; anal II, 32-37; pectoral 11-13 rays; pelvics I, 3, shorter than pectorals; tail fin rounded; dorsal and anal fins confluent with tail fin; scales small, non-overlapping, well separated; body and head scaled except for tip of lower jaws and tip of snout; a flat band of diverging scales along bases of dorsal and anal fins; scales with 22 radiating lines.
White to tan; dark blotches on top and sides of head; a row of irregular dark blotches scattered along entire base of dorsal fin, sometimes forming a dark stripe; row of short, irregular dark oblique bars along mid-flank to level of origin of anal fin, grading into irregular smaller blotches and spots behind; markings often variable in shape and distribution.
Size: 8.8 cm.
Habitat: intertidal rock pools.
Depth: 0-5 m.
SW and SE Gulf of California to Colombia, the Galapagos.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Mud
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- No Data
- Diet
-
- Mobile benthic worms
- No Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic larva
- Benthic
- No data
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- East Pacific endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- Continent
- TEP endemic
- All species
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 8.8
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 5