Common Name
Redcheek Goby
Year Described
Victor, 2010
Identification
Dorsal Fin: VII, 10-11
Anal Fin: 9-10
Pectoral Fin: 20-22
Caudal Fin: 15 (branched), 6-8 unbranched on top and bottom
Pelvic fins fully united into circular disk. Body scaleless.
Color
Head pale orange to yellowish and body behind pectoral fin abruptly dark green with 23-26 light green bands. Head with two bright red stripes: one through the eye and one on the cheek. Posterior part of eyebar is bright orange-red. Fin rays yellowish with clear membranes.
Size
Individuals range from 8.7-19.3mm SL.
Habitat
Shallow rocky areas of pitted limestone. Usually associated with sea urchins.
Range
Known only from the Bay Islands of Honduras.
References
Victor, B. C. 2010. The redcheek paradox: the mismatch between genetic and phenotypic divergence among deeply-divided mtDNA lineages in a coral-reef goby, with the description of two new cryptic species from the Caribbean Sea. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation v. 3: 1-15.
Other Notes
Despite the color pattern difference between this species and T. panamensis, the mtDNA divergence between them is much less (3.3%) than the divergence between T. rubrigenis and T. multifasciatus (11.2%). This shows color pattern is not a reliable indicator of relationship in this clade (Victor, 2010).