| Distribution |
Chiefly marine and brackish, some species are catadromous. Often the most abundant fish in freshwater on oceanic islands. Distribution: mostly tropical and subtropical areas. Pelvic fins fused into an adhesive disc, when well developed. Spinous dorsal present or absent; when present with 2-8 flexible spines and discontinuous with soft dorsal. Cycloid or ctenoid scales almost always present. Prominent head barbels present in some species. To 50 cm maximum length; most species below 10 cm. The largest family of marine fishes (possibly > 2,000). The smallest fishes (and vertebrates) in the world belong to this family. Mostly marine in shallow coastal waters and around coral reefs. Most are cryptic bottom dwelling carnivores of small benthic invertebrates; others are planktivores. Some species have symbiotic relationships with invertebrates (e.g. shrimps) and others are known to remove ecto-parasites from other fishes. Typically nest spawners with non-spherical eggs guarded by the male. Many are popular aquarium fishes. The following subfamilies are recognized: Oxudercinae, Amblyopinae, Sicydiinae, Gobionellinae and Gobiinae. Reported to have 230 genera and around 1,500 species by Hoese and Larson, 2006 (Ref. 75154). Oxudercinae are elongate gobiid fishes, compressed posteriorly; cycloid scales and vary in size from small to large; predorsal scales 0 or as many as 113; head is small to moderate (15-34% SL); eyes located dorsally on head; moderate to wide gape; caninoid teeth, obtusely pointed, or bifid, and uniserialin both jaws (Ref. 92840) Amblyopinae are elongate, mud-dwelling fishes of the Indo-West Pacific region commonly reffered to as "eel gobies" or "worm gobies"; 12 genera and 23 species are currently recognized; usual colors are pink, purple or red; continuous dorsal fin; first spinous and second soft dorsal fins connected by membrane; eyes reduced in size and may have limited function; subdivided into three units based on axial skeletal features: 'Gobioides', 'Taenioides', and 'Trypauchen' (Ref. 92840). Sicydiinae pelvic fins are highly modified into rounded sucking disc; disc has highly branched pelvic fin rays and thickened pelvic fin spines with fleshy pad at distal tip; thick interspinal frenum joins posterior tips of left and right pelvic spines; pelvic spines and first ray separated from remaining four pelvic rays by distinct gap; premaxilla expanded dorsally; small rostral cartilage; palatine bone with long dorsal process that articulates with lateral ethmoid; 4-5 branchiostegal rays; one epural bone and dorsal pterygiophore formula 3-12210 (Ref. 92840). Gobionellinae is characterized by two anterior interorbital pores, two epurals and 3-12210 spinous dorsal pterygiophore pattern (Pezold 1993); possess 25-28 vertebrae and 2 or 3 (occasionally 4) anal pterygiophores before first hemal spine; temperate northern Pacific gobionellines are characterized by a prolifiration of vertebrae however, having counts as high as 42 in some species; two other groups proposed as monophyletic: Mugilogobius group and Stenogobius group. Males have a unique paired, secretory, accessory gonadal structures (AGS) associated with the testis which is now recognized as a synapomorphy not only for the Gobiidae but for all Gobioidei. Tribe Gobiosomatini - ecologically diverse and species rich assemblage of gobies; endemic to western hemisphere; common name American seven-spined gobies; includes over 130 species of gobies in 27 genera; occur from Massachusetts to Uruguay in the western Atlantic Ocean, and from the Pacific coast of southern Baja California and Gulf of California to Peru, including far-offshore islands (Isla del Cocos, Isla Malpelo, Galapagos) in the eastern Pacific Ocean |
Divine Pygmy Goby 