Shortstripe goby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shortstripe goby |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gobiiformes |
| Family: | Gobiidae |
| Genus: | Elacatinus |
| Species: |
E. chancei
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| Binomial name | |
| Elacatinus chancei (Beebe & Hollister, 1933)
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| Synonyms | |
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The shortstripe goby (scientific name: Elacatinus chancei) is a small, colorful fish. It's a type of ray-finned fish, which means its fins are supported by bony rays. This little fish belongs to the Gobiidae family, also known as gobies. You can find it living in warm, tropical waters. It often makes its home inside or on the surface of sponges in places like the Bahamas, the Antilles, and Venezuela.
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What Does the Shortstripe Goby Look Like?
The shortstripe goby is a tiny, thin fish. It usually grows to about 5 centimeters (2 inches) long. It has two main fins on its back, called dorsal fins. These fins have seven stiff spines and 12 soft rays. The fin on its belly, called the anal fin, has ten soft rays but no spines.
This fish is mostly a see-through, light grey color. A bright yellow line starts near its eye. This line goes all the way to its side fin, called the pectoral fin. Black lines run above and below this yellow stripe. These black lines join together and form a wide stripe that goes all the way to its tail fin. Sometimes, the skin under its eyes and on its gill covers looks a bit pink.
Where Does the Shortstripe Goby Live?
The shortstripe goby lives in the warm, western part of the Atlantic Ocean. You can find it in places like the southern Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. It also lives in the Caicos Islands, the Lesser Antilles, and some small islands near Venezuela.
It seems to prefer areas where a similar fish, the yellowstripe goby (Elacatinus horsti), does not live. Both of these fish like to live near sponges.
How Does the Shortstripe Goby Live?
The shortstripe goby has a special relationship with sponges. It often lives inside or on the outside of large, tube-shaped sponges. Examples include sponges like Verongia aerophoba or Neofibularia nolitangere.
This little fish has a unique diet. It eats tiny parasitic worms called Haplosyllis spongicola. These worms live on the surface of the sponges where the goby makes its home. The goby spends most of its time inside the sponge's openings, called osculi. But sometimes, it rests on the outside of the sponge.
Like other fish in its family, the shortstripe goby does not have a lateral line system. This system helps many fish sense movement and vibrations in the water. Instead, the shortstripe goby uses special sensory organs on its head to feel its surroundings.
Why Is It Called the Shortstripe Goby?
The scientific name for this fish is Elacatinus chancei. The second part of its name, chancei, was given to honor Colonel Edwin M. Chance. He was a businessman who helped pay for the trip during which this fish was first found and studied.
