Elacatinus randalli

Common Name

Yellownose Goby

Year Described

Böhlke & Robins, 1968

Identification

Dorsal Fin: VII, 12
Anal Fin: 11
Pectoral Fin: 17-18 (usually 17)
Caudal Fin:
Gill Rakers: 7
Vertebrae: 28

Mouth subterminal. Body scaleless. Pelvic fins fused to form a sucking disk.

Color

Body stripe bright yellow; narrower than eye and running to the caudal fin. Back and lateral stripe black; tapering off on caudal fin. Snout pale yellowish with a oval yellow spot. Area under lateral black stripe brilliant blue and grading to whitish on the belly. Cheek with blue stripe and reddish wash. Fins transparent with fine speckling.

Size

Maximum size to 31.8mm SL.

Habitat

Coral reefs from 1-50m. A coral perching species that engage in cleaning behavior.

Range

Southern Caribbean Sea: Puerto Rico, the Lesser Antilles, Curacao, and Venezuela.

References

Böhlke, J. E. and C. R. Robins. 1968. Western Atlantic seven-spined gobies, with descriptions of ten new species and a new genus, and comments on Pacific relatives. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia v. 120: 45-174.

Other Notes

Most closely related to the Brazilian Elacatinus phthirophagus, which has a dark snout and lacks a blue line on the cheek.