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Sharptail goby (Oligolepis acutipennis) — Gobiidae

Sharptail goby

Oligolepis acutipennis
Family: Gobiidae

The Sharptail goby (Oligolepis acutipennis) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 15 cm.

Length
15 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Diet
Carnivore
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The sharptail goby is a goby (Gobiidae) from coastal and brackish water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 15 cm and has an elongate, pale-brown body with fine markings and a tapering tail. As a bottom-dweller it lives in estuaries, mangroves and tidal creeks, often in a self-dug burrow, and snaps at small crustaceans, worms and algae. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Sharptail goby?

The Sharptail goby has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Sharptail goby live?

The Sharptail goby lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Sharptail goby get?

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

Is the Sharptail goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Sharptail goby is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Scherpstaart-grondel sourced
English name
Sharptail goby sourced
Scientific name
Oligolepis acutipennis
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Longtail goby; Sharptail goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

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 Oligolepis

More from the family Gobiidae

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