Common Name
Barfin Goby
Year Described
Bohlke & Robins, 1960
Identification
Dorsal Fin: VI; I, 8-9 (usually 9)
Anal Fin: I, 7-8
Pectoral Fin: 16-17
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Caudal Fin: 17 segmented rays
Lateral Line Scales: 25-26
Vertebrae: 9+17=26
Body elongate. Snout profile straight. Eyes large and placed dorsally. A fleshy ridge present on nape from between eyes to dorsal fin origin. Anterior nostril tubular. Posterior nostril not tubular. Mouth small. Tongue truncated. No teeth on vomer or palatine. Teeth in jaws present in five irregular rows. Gill membranes joined to isthmus. Pectoral, soft dorsal, and anal fins with all rays branched and bound by membranes (first element simple). Second dorsal base longer than caudal peduncle length. Ventral fins almost separate with last ray unbranched. Body covered in ctenoid scales, becoming cycloid on chest. Head and nape naked. Head pores present (one between eyes and one pair between rear nostrils). No lateral line.
Color
Anterior half of body whitish and posterior half yellowish. Body wall translucent. Head with orange spots and orange lines radiating from eye. Eye white with orange markings. Fleshy ridge on head and base of dorsal fin along midline with alternating brown and white blotches. Cheek rosy. A brown bar on trunk from belly to spinal column. Spinal cord with white and brown segments. Bright white, brown, and orange markings of various intensities on rear body in some specimens. First dorsal fin with a black blotch between second and third spine that runs vertical and extends onto body as a large grown blotch. Median fins with orange spots along rays. Base of caudal fin often with a small dark blotch.
Size
Maximum size to 40mm SL.
Habitat
Coral reefs from 9-21m. Found perched on coral heads.
Range
Known from S. Florida, the Bahamas, Belize, Honduras, and Curacao. Likely more widespread.
References
Baldwin, C.C., Weigt, L.A., Smith, D.G., & J.H. Mounts. 2009. Reconciling genetic lineages with species in western Atlantic Coryphopterus (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences, 38: 111-138.
Baldwin C.C. & D.R. Robertson. 2015. A new, mesophotic Coryphopterus goby (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the southern Caribbean, with comments on relationships and depth distributions within the genus. ZooKeys 513: 123-142.
Böhlke, J.E. & C.R. Robins. 1960. A revision of the gobioid fish genus Coryphopterus. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 112, 103-128.
Other Notes
Baldwin et al. (2009) provide genetic evidence that Curacao populations of this species are an undescribed species sister to C. alloides.