Orangespotted Sandgoby

Appearance

A pale sandgoby covered in orange-brown and white speckles, brown lines on the gill cover, a row of paired brown spots along body behind the pectoral fin separated by white spots or dashes, and sometimes 3-4 dusky vertical bars on the abdomen of males. Max Size:11 cm TL .

Dorsal spines (total): 7-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 9-10; Vertebrae: 26-26. Upper pectoral fin rays entire. Predorsal with 7-9 cycloid scales; trunk with ctenoid scales. Segmented and non branching caudal rays 4, branching 13. Body color yellowish white; 2 brown diagonal lines from preoperculum to upper jaw, connected by a single line; 2 almost vertical brown lines on operculum. 4th spine of 1st dorsal fin longest. No sharp distinction between sexes in pigmentation and elongation of 2nd dorsal, pelvic and anal fins. Males sometimes with 3-4 dusky vertical bars on abdomen (Ref. 420); fully united pelvic fins with well-developed frenum; longitudinal scale series 29-32; predorsal scales 7-9, reaching interorbital space; absence of scales on cheek or opercle; depth of body 4.7-6.1 in SL

Naming

Other Names: Brown-speckled Sand Goby, Brown-speckled Sand-goby, Orangespotted Goby, Orange-spotted Goby, Rigilius Goby

Distribution

Western Pacific: Philippines and Indonesia to Kiribati and Fiji, south to Rowley Shoals in the eastern Indian Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef. Reported from the Ryukyu Islands

Status

IUCN Least Concern.

Behavior

Solitary.

Habitat

Reef associated, soft sediment, 0-30 m. Occurs in sandy areas with living corals and coral rubble in clear waters,