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Arrow goby (Clevelandia ios) — Gobiidae

Arrow goby

Clevelandia ios
Family: Gobiidae

The Arrow goby (Clevelandia ios) is a brackish-water fish of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 6 cm.

Length
6.4 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–2.0 m
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The arrow goby is a small goby (Gobiidae) from the eastern Pacific off the west coast of North America. The species grows to only a few centimetres and has a slender, translucent, arrow-shaped body. It inhabits sand and mud bottoms of estuaries, lagoons and intertidal areas, where it shares the burrows of shrimps and worms and retreats into a shrimp burrow when threatened or at low tide. On the bottom it forages on small zooplankton and detritus. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Arrow goby?

The Arrow goby has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Arrow goby live?

The Arrow goby lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Arrow goby get?

The Arrow goby grows to a maximum of about 6 cm. On average the species is around 4 cm.

Is the Arrow goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Arrow goby is harmless to humans.

Is the Arrow goby edible?

The Arrow goby is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Pijlgrondel sourced
English name
Arrow goby verified
Scientific name
Clevelandia ios
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Arrow goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
6.4 verified
Average length (cm)
4.2 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
2.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
levensduur_max_jaar
3.0 verified

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Geen doelsoort voor de hengelsport; hooguit incidentele vangst of bruikbaar als aasvisje. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

More from the family Gobiidae

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