THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

coral and rubble.
Appearance: Length to 6 cm. Body depressed,
small head. Ground color green (rare individuals
red). Body covered with dark blue blotches ringed
with dark outlines. Pectoral fins, face yellow.
Diet: Benthic invertebrates.
Reproduction and Development: External
fertilization. Open water egg scatterers.
Conservation Status: Heavily exploited in the
Philippines for the aquarium trade.
Remarks: Mandarinfish produce mucous that
is highly distasteful; their bright color is a
warning to would-be predators to steer clear
of this noxious beauty.
SUBORDER GOBIOIDEI
(GOBIES)
Yellowfin Goby
Acanthogobius flavimanus (Gobiidae)
Gobies
Distribution: Native to Asia; introduced to
Australia and the west coast of North America.
Habitat: Muddy and sandy bottoms in
estuarine, marine and freshwater habitats.
Found at depths of 1 – 14 m.
Appearance: Large head, pale brownish body
with dark saddles and spots; length to 30 cm.
Diet: Smaller fish.
Reproduction and Development: Spawn
in winter to early spring in estuaries; eggs
are laid on the ceilings of y-shaped burrows
constructed by the males. Male guards the
eggs.
Mortality/Longevity: Males mature at 1 year,
females at 2. Most live only 3 years.
Remarks: Used in Chinese medicine.
This goby is an invasive species which
has partially replaced the Pacific staghorn
sculpins in at least one location in California
and extirpated the endangered tidewater
goby from some bodies of water. Probably
introduced in ships’ ballast or contaminated
oyster shipments.
Like all gobies, the yellowfin’s pelvic fins are
fused into a sucking disc enabling the fish able
to cling to substrates or crawl into burrows.
California Academy of Sciences
179
Shrimp Goby aka Watchman Goby
Amblyeleotris sp. (Gobiidae)
Gobies
Distribution: Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Areas of broken rubble or coarse sand.
Appearance: Typical goby body.
Diet: Sand-dwelling invertebrates, many of
which are exposed by the shrimp’s digging.
Mortality/Longevity: Preyed upon by other
fishes.
Remarks: Amblyeleotris is the largest genus
of shrimp gobies, a group well known for its
symbiotic relationships with certain pistol
shrimps of the genus Alpheus. The hardworking
shrimp digs and maintains the burrow
that is home to both, and the shrimp goby uses
its superior eyesight to detect predators.
The shrimp, nearly blind, maintains contact
with its visually superior partner via its
antennae touching the goby’s tail. If the goby
flicks its tail, the shrimp retreats.
Randall’s Prawn Goby
Amblyeleotris randalli (Gobiidae)
Gobies
Distribution: Western Pacific.
Habitat: Occurs on patches of carbonate sand
of clear-water reefs.
Appearance: Whitish background with seven
horizontal orange stripes, the first through the
eye. Male sports a white-rimmed black eyespot
on prominent dorsal fin. Max. length: 12 cm.
Diet: Zooplankton and small benthic
invertebrates.
Reproduction and Development: Male
attracts a female with his courtship “dance,”
stimulating the female to lay her eggs, usually
in a hole in the sand. After fertilization,
the male guards the eggs from predators.
Successfully bred in captivity.
Mortality/Longevity: Life span: 5 to 8 years.
Remarks: Called a “prawn-goby” because it
usually lives in a symbiotic association with
one or more alpheid shrimps in a shared
burrow. The shrimp builds and maintains
the burrow, constantly clearing it of sand and
rubble. When exposed, the shrimp rests an
antennae on the fish, which quivers to alert
the shrimp if danger lurks. Both then quickly
retreat to cover in the burrow. Presently our