Neon goby
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Neon goby ( Elacatinus oceanops ) |
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| Jordan , 1904 |
The neon goby ( Elacatinus oceanops ) is a small marine fish found in the coral reefs of the Caribbean from Florida and the Bahamas to the Gulf of Mexico to Belize .
features
The neon goby is only 3.5 centimeters long. Its body is elongated and shows a striking blue stripe that begins in front of the eyes and extends on the sides of the body to the caudal fin. The blue stripe is lined with black stripes at the top and bottom. The ventral side is whitish.
- Fins formula : dorsal VII – VIII / 10–13, anal I / 9–12.
Way of life
The neon goby, like related species from the genus Elacatinus , takes on the ecological role of cleaner wrasse from the Indo-Pacific , which is absent in the Atlantic. It also resembles the cleaner wrasse in its drawing. The animals maintain fixed cleaning stations on raised coral blocks at depths of up to 40 meters and live there individually, in pairs or in large groups of up to 30 animals. They feed on the parasitic small crustaceans that they eat off the skin of their "customers". The diurnal fish hide in their coral hiding place at night. Neon gobies are monogamous .
literature
- Hans A. Baensch / Robert A. Patzner: Mergus Sea Water Atlas Volume 1 , Mergus-Verlag, Melle, 1997, ISBN 3-88244-110-0
Web links
- Neon goby on Fishbase.org (English)