Genus: Akko, Specter-Gobies

AKKO

SPECTER-GOBIES

Elongate gobies with very small eyes; head without pores; vertical and horizontal rows of small papilla on head and operculum; mouth large, almost vertical; teeth elongate, large, depressible, lower teeth overlapping the upper jaw when closed; upper jaw slightly extendible, ends before level of center of eye; upper jaw with one row of depressible, long, well separated canines, lower with two rows, the outer row enlarged; gill opening from a little below top of pectoral base to a little above pelvic base, lower rear edge curved back; gill arches with simple to complex papillae rather than rakers; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal, anal and tail fins with serially branched rays; 1st dorsal VII, dorsal fins connected along lower half of 1st ray of second fin; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; dorsal and anal fins joined to tail fin; pectoral fins short; pelvics fused in a deeply cupped, circular disc on a stalk, fin rays multiply branched; scales small, rounded, smooth, imbedded, not overlapping; head and pectoral base scaleless; no lateral line.

A neotropical genus with three species, with two species endemic to our region.