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Orange-striped goby (Amblygobius decussatus) — Gobiidae

Orange-striped goby

Amblygobius decussatus
Family: Gobiidae
LC · Least Concern

The Orange-striped goby (Amblygobius decussatus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 10 cm.

Length
9.5 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
3.0–25.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Range
Western central Pacific
Edibility
Not eaten

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Description

The orange-striped goby is a goby from the western central Pacific, from the Philippines to New Caledonia and Australia. The species grows to about 10 cm and has a pale bluish-grey body with two distinct orange stripes on the head, four fainter orange stripes on the flank and an orange spot at the tail base. As a bottom-dweller it takes mouthfuls of sand and sifts out small invertebrates and organic matter; it shelters in invertebrate burrows. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Orange-striped goby?

The Orange-striped goby has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a horizontal stripes pattern. Sand-sifting goby with orange head lines

Where does the Orange-striped goby live?

The Orange-striped goby lives in brackish water and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Western central Pacific

How big does the Orange-striped goby get?

The Orange-striped goby grows to a maximum of about 10 cm.

Is the Orange-striped goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Orange-striped goby is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Orange-striped goby edible?

The Orange-striped goby is not usually eaten.

More photos

Orange-striped goby (Amblygobius decussatus) — Gobiidae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) belen_caro, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Orange-striped goby (Amblygobius decussatus) — Gobiidae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) Raphael Forns, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Orange-striped goby (Amblygobius decussatus) — Gobiidae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) Raphael Forns, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Orange-striped goby (Amblygobius decussatus) — Gobiidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Erik Schlögl, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Orange-striped goby verified
Scientific name
Amblygobius decussatus
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Crosshatch goby; Orange-striped goby; Pink-lined goby; Crossed goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
9.5 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
3.0 verified
Max depth (m)
25.0 verified
Natural range
Western central Pacific verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small invertebrates and organic material from sand inferred
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
Yes sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
Seasonality
Sand-sifting reef goby; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Sand-sifting goby with orange head lines sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Not a target species for angling; at most an incidental catch or usable as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Amblygobius

More from the family Gobiidae

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