Sharknose goby

Appearance

''Elacatinus evelynae'' is a very small, torpedo-shaped fish. It can reach a maximum length of 4 cm . It has a yellow stripe in front of each eye that joins to form a V near the tip of its snout. Black stripes run under the yellow ones from the snout, over the lower part of the eye to the end of the caudal fin. ''E. evelynae's'' fin configuration is the same as all other gobies. Its dorsal fin is split in two, with a rounded anterior fin and a flat posterior fin which lines up with its anal fin. The pectoral fins are almost circular. All its fins are transparent.

Habitat

They inhabit coral reefs in clear ocean waters at a depth of 1–53 m . The reported temperature range where they are found is 22 to 27 °C .

Reproduction

They are monogamous and are usually found in pairs near coral heads. Both males and females show aggression towards potential intruders of the same sex to protect their mates. Attempts to breed them in captivity have shown that they do not produce eggs unless conditions are optimal, with little to no fluctuation in temperature and salinity.

Food

''E. evelynae'' is a cleaner fish as indicated by one of its common names, the Caribbean cleaning goby. They feed on ectoparasites found on other fish. Females tend to clean and feed more than males especially if they are accompanied by a large male, which may be due to mate guarding and the male spending more time guarding the eggs.