Odd yellownose goby

Hi all,

I found a lot of "typical" yellownose gobies in Bonaire but this one doesn't quite fit the rules. Instead of a stripe on its nose it has just a tiny spot and it also doesn't have a thin bluish horizontal line starting at the eye that was present in the normal yellownose gobies. I considered it might be a spotlight goby but that one isn't supposed to exist in the Southern Caribbean, the spot is too small and this one clearly has the pale snout unlike the dark snout of the few spotlight gobies I've seen before. Is this a color variant of the yellownose or a species that isn't in Humann&Deloach?

Here is the image

Here is a normal yellownose goby

Luis, others... any suggestions?

Thanks, Bart

I would say it is a spotlight goby. Or a regional version of one. Luiz is probably the ideal guy to answer this one.

Here is a photo of one from Cayman

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15629

Alex

maybe a juvenile or post-larval spotlight, just a guess..

Hi all,

 

I found a lot of "typical" yellownose gobies in Bonaire but this one doesn't quite fit the rules. Instead of a stripe on its nose it has just a tiny spot and it also doesn't have a thin bluish horizontal line starting at the eye that was present in the normal yellownose gobies. I considered it might be a spotlight goby but that one isn't supposed to exist in the Southern Caribbean, the spot is too small and this one clearly has the pale snout unlike the dark snout of the few spotlight gobies I've seen before. Is this a color variant of the yellownose or a species that isn't in Humann&Deloach?

 

Luis, others... any suggestions?

 

Thanks, Bart

Bart you have done your homework! With you I don't think it is a spotlight either, but I think those actually have been spotted in Bonaire (Reef Fish 3rd ed does need to be updated you know and the distributions have always been pretty much just general guidelines based on data that is a bit antiquated now). Anyway spotlights have different behaviors and their habitats differ a bit also. I'm with you on the variation of yellownose goby, but to really get a good answer I'd send it to the Wilks, who have spent hundreds of hours underwater in Bonaire looking at, IDing and photoing the small stuff!!

Here is their email:

wilk@reefnet.ca

I would say it is a spotlight goby. Or a regional version of one. Luiz is probably the ideal guy to answer this one.

 

Here is a photo of one from Cayman

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15629

Alex

Alex, how do you know that isn't a little sharknose goby being consumed instead of a cleaning goby..... ??

Just kidding Alex!!! I've never heard or witnessed so much controversy in my life as the big "cleaning vs sharknose" debate between fish scientists, fish IDers and photographers! Frankly I don't even get involved in it any more..............!!!!! PS- but I'm feeling a little "impish" today so I thought I'd bring it up.............

Best, Carol