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Scaleless worm eelgoby (Caragobius urolepis) — Gobiidae

Scaleless worm eelgoby

Caragobius urolepis
Family: Gobiidae

The Scaleless worm eelgoby (Caragobius urolepis) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 9 cm.

Length
8.5 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Diet
Carnivore
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The scaleless worm eelgoby is an eel-like goby (Gobiidae) from muddy estuaries and mangroves of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 12 cm and has a strongly elongate, pinkish-red, almost worm-like body with tiny eyes, a scale-poor skin and confluent dorsal, tail and anal fins. As a burrowing bottom-dweller it lives in self-dug tunnels in soft mud and snaps at small invertebrates. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Scaleless worm eelgoby?

The Scaleless worm eelgoby has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly pink-purple.

Where does the Scaleless worm eelgoby live?

The Scaleless worm eelgoby lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Scaleless worm eelgoby get?

The Scaleless worm eelgoby grows to a maximum of about 9 cm.

Is the Scaleless worm eelgoby dangerous to humans?

No, the Scaleless worm eelgoby is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Worm-aalgrondel sourced
English name
Scaleless worm eelgoby sourced
Scientific name
Caragobius urolepis
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Scaleless worm goby; Sumatra eelgoby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
8.5 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Pink / purple sourced
Tail shape
Rounded 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

More from the family Gobiidae

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