Dr. James Van Tassell, Florida, USA
Info
Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
Microgobius microlepis Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
Banner goby
Head and body compressed; a fleshy crest on nape in both sexes, lower in male; 3 pores on preopercle, no pore between front of eyes; mouth large, nearly vertical; tip of tongue divided; no teeth on front of roof of mouth; lower jaw with 5-6 enlarged teeth in outer row; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII, spines II-VI elongate in both sexes, longest reaching the base of the fourth element of the second dorsal fin, + I, 17-18 rays; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 18 (rarely19) rays; pectoral fin 20-23; pelvic fins I, 5, fused to form disc; tail fin long, oval; scales small, mostly rough; body scaled from rear forward to tip of depressed pectoral fin, head scaleless; lateral scale rows 68-78; no lateral line.
Males: body pale blue-grey with greenish cast on top; no dark spots on body or fins; cheek below eye with three iridescent blue stripes, pale orange stripes between; pale orange stripe connecting anterior margin of eye with upper lip; chin and nuchal crest both with rosy cast; opercle dusky orange with iridescent blue bar or spot; lower half of spinous dorsal fin rosy orange; anal fin pale yellow near body, becoming orange distally; tail fin with orange cast, a greenish-yellow stripe across the top rays, continues with band on dorsal fins. Females: similar to males except: bottom of body above anal fin white; belly with rosy cast; a dark grey stripe along mid flank, an oblique dark grey bar angled back and down on body behind belly; chin whitish; soft dorsal pale with rosy-orange base; anal fin with rosy cast; tail fin with median, dusky rose stripe and similar stripe below that, originating at the bottom of the base of the fin, and running diagonally to the fin’s margin.
Reaches: 5.0 cm.
Depth: 1.5-5 m.
Habitat: Builds burrows in the calcareous bottom sediments of inshore waters.
Florida to the central E Caribbean.
Source:
Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system
Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Pisces (Superclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Microgobius (Genus) > Microgobius microlepis (Species)
Jumping guard
A jumping guard prevents (nocturnal) fish from jumping out.
Wrasses, blennies, hawkfishs and gobies jump out of an unprotected tank in fright if their night rest is disturbed, unfortunately these jumpers are found dried up in the morning on carpets, glass edges or later behind the tank.
https://www.korallenriff.de/en/article/1925_5_Jump_Protection_Solutions_for_Fish_in_the_Aquarium__5_Net_Covers.html
A small night light also helps, as it provides the fish with a means of orientation in the dark!
Microgobius microlepis Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
Banner goby
Head and body compressed; a fleshy crest on nape in both sexes, lower in male; 3 pores on preopercle, no pore between front of eyes; mouth large, nearly vertical; tip of tongue divided; no teeth on front of roof of mouth; lower jaw with 5-6 enlarged teeth in outer row; gill membranes broadly joined to body under throat, with 5 rays; dorsal fin VII, spines II-VI elongate in both sexes, longest reaching the base of the fourth element of the second dorsal fin, + I, 17-18 rays; length of 2nd dorsal base > distance from 2nd dorsal base to tail fin; anal fin I, 18 (rarely19) rays; pectoral fin 20-23; pelvic fins I, 5, fused to form disc; tail fin long, oval; scales small, mostly rough; body scaled from rear forward to tip of depressed pectoral fin, head scaleless; lateral scale rows 68-78; no lateral line.
Males: body pale blue-grey with greenish cast on top; no dark spots on body or fins; cheek below eye with three iridescent blue stripes, pale orange stripes between; pale orange stripe connecting anterior margin of eye with upper lip; chin and nuchal crest both with rosy cast; opercle dusky orange with iridescent blue bar or spot; lower half of spinous dorsal fin rosy orange; anal fin pale yellow near body, becoming orange distally; tail fin with orange cast, a greenish-yellow stripe across the top rays, continues with band on dorsal fins. Females: similar to males except: bottom of body above anal fin white; belly with rosy cast; a dark grey stripe along mid flank, an oblique dark grey bar angled back and down on body behind belly; chin whitish; soft dorsal pale with rosy-orange base; anal fin with rosy cast; tail fin with median, dusky rose stripe and similar stripe below that, originating at the bottom of the base of the fin, and running diagonally to the fin’s margin.
Reaches: 5.0 cm.
Depth: 1.5-5 m.
Habitat: Builds burrows in the calcareous bottom sediments of inshore waters.
Florida to the central E Caribbean.
Source:
Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system
Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Pisces (Superclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Microgobius (Genus) > Microgobius microlepis (Species)
Jumping guard
A jumping guard prevents (nocturnal) fish from jumping out.
Wrasses, blennies, hawkfishs and gobies jump out of an unprotected tank in fright if their night rest is disturbed, unfortunately these jumpers are found dried up in the morning on carpets, glass edges or later behind the tank.
https://www.korallenriff.de/en/article/1925_5_Jump_Protection_Solutions_for_Fish_in_the_Aquarium__5_Net_Covers.html
A small night light also helps, as it provides the fish with a means of orientation in the dark!
