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Emerald goby (Ctenogobius smaragdus) — Gobiidae

Emerald goby

Ctenogobius smaragdus
Family: Gobiidae

The Emerald goby (Ctenogobius smaragdus) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Gobiidae that grows up to 15 cm.

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

Description

The Emerald goby is a goby (Gobiidae) from shallow coastal, brackish and estuarine water of the western Atlantic and Caribbean. The species grows to about 8 cm and has a slender, greenish with glittering emerald spots body with fused pelvic fins forming a sucker. As a bottom-dweller it perches on sand and mud bottoms of river mouths and mangroves and snaps at small crustaceans, worms and algae. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Emerald goby?

The Emerald goby has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly green.

Where does the Emerald goby live?

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

How big does the Emerald goby get?

The Emerald goby grows to a maximum of about 15 cm.

Is the Emerald goby dangerous to humans?

No, the Emerald goby is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Smaragd-grondel sourced
English name
Emerald goby sourced
Scientific name
Ctenogobius smaragdus
Family
Gobiidae
Other names
Emerald goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Green 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

Same genus Ctenogobius

More from the family Gobiidae

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