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Yellowline goby (Elacatinus horsti) — Gobiidae

Yellowline goby

Elacatinus horsti
Family: Gobiidae

The Yellowline goby (Elacatinus horsti) is a saltwater fish of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 5 cm.

Length
5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
7.0–27.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Yellowline goby is a small cleaner goby (Gobiidae) from the Caribbean Sea. The species grows to about 5 cm and has a slender body with a yellow or white longitudinal stripe over a dark body. It keeps cleaning stations on the reef, where larger fish come to have parasites and dead skin removed, which it picks off. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Yellowline goby?

The Yellowline goby has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly yellow-gold and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Yellowline goby live?

The Yellowline goby lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Yellowline goby get?

The Yellowline goby grows to a maximum of about 5 cm.

Is the Yellowline goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Yellowline goby is harmless to humans.

Is the Yellowline goby edible?

Yes, the Yellowline goby is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Geellijn-poetsgrondel sourced
English name
Yellowline goby sourced
Scientific name
Elacatinus horsti
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Yellowline Goby; Yellowline goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
5.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Yellow / gold sourced
Pattern
Horizontal stripes sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
7.0 verified
Max depth (m)
27.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Elacatinus

More from the family Gobiidae

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