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Sibaya goby (Silhouettea sibayi) — Gobiidae

Sibaya goby

Silhouettea sibayi
Family: Gobiidae

The Sibaya goby (Silhouettea sibayi) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 4 cm.

Length
4 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
1.0–20.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Sibaya goby is a small goby (Gobiidae) from shallow, often brackish coastal and estuarine water of Lake Sibaya in southern Africa. The species grows to about 3 cm and has a slender, semi-translucent, brown-speckled body with fused pelvic fins forming a sucker. As a bottom-dweller it sits on sand and mud by weed, roots and a burrow and snaps at small invertebrates, algae and detritus. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Sibaya goby?

The Sibaya goby has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Sibaya goby live?

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

How big does the Sibaya goby get?

The Sibaya goby grows to a maximum of about 4 cm.

Is the Sibaya goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Sibaya goby is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Sibaya-grondel sourced
English name
Sibaya goby sourced
Scientific name
Silhouettea sibayi
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Sibayi goby; Sibayi Goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
4.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
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 Silhouettea

More from the family Gobiidae

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