Black Goby
Gobius niger
Goldspot Goby
Gnatholepis thompsoni
About
The goldspot goby is a tiny, pale fish that perches on open sand, rock, and rubble, growing to just 8.2 cm. It is usually found from the shallows down to about 36 m, sometimes as deep as 50 m.
- Length
- 8.2 cm
- Depth
- 1–36 m
How to tell it apart
It is often seen alongside the similar bridled goby; look for the black bar running across this species' cheek and past the eye to tell it apart.
Appearance
The body is pale with 6 to 8 rows of staggered dark brown spots, the largest running along the middle of its side. A black line crosses the top of the eye and continues as a curved bar across the cheek, ending well behind the jaw.
Did you know?
It feeds by taking mouthfuls of sand and pushing the grains back out through its gill openings, sifting out food as the sand passes through.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
