Elacatinus tenox

Common Name

Slaty Goby

Year Described

Böhlke & Robins, 1968

Identification

Dorsal Fin: VII, 12
Anal Fin: 10
Pectoral Fin: 17-19
Caudal Fin: 15 branched
Gill Rakers:
Vertebrae: 28

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

Color

Body uniformly dark gray, becoming paler on the belly. Body stripe short and restricted to the post-ocular area. Stripe color is unrecorded but possibly pale blue or yellow. Snout with yellow spot. Fins speckled with melanophores.

Size

Maximum size to 22.2mm SL.

Habitat

Deeper reefs around 17-21m. Inhabits sponges. Does not engage in cleaning behavior.

Range

Southern Caribbean Sea: known from St. Croix, Dominica, Nevis, Isla de Aves and Panama.

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.