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Beautiful goby (Exyrias belissimus) — Gobiidae

Beautiful goby

Exyrias belissimus
Family: Gobiidae
LC · Least Concern

The Beautiful goby (Exyrias belissimus) is a saltwater fish of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 15 cm.

Length
15 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–30.0 m
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The mud reef goby is a goby (Gobiidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species has a pale, mottled body with tall, fan-shaped dorsal fins with colourful spots. It is territorial and inhabits silty bottoms of lagoons and seaward reefs, often near or under rocks and coral, where it occupies self-dug burrows. On the bottom it takes mouthfuls of sand to sift out small invertebrates and organic material. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Beautiful goby?

The Beautiful goby has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Beautiful goby live?

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

How big does the Beautiful goby get?

The Beautiful goby grows to a maximum of about 15 cm.

Is the Beautiful goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Beautiful goby is harmless to humans.

Is the Beautiful goby edible?

The Beautiful goby is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Sierlijke rifgrondel sourced
English name
Beautiful goby verified
Scientific name
Exyrias belissimus
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Mud reef-goby; Mud-reef goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Spots inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
30.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups inferred
Territorial
Yes inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Geen doelsoort voor de hengelsport; hooguit incidentele vangst of bruikbaar als aasvisje. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Exyrias

More from the family Gobiidae

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