Gobies are small fishes, no more than 2 inches. In fact, some of the world’s smallest vertebrates are members of this family of fish.
In general gobies has bright colors with markings that help them to be identified. They live on the bottom of the reef feeding from smaller invertebrates as shrimps, worms and mollusks. However few species act as cleaners, eating parasites from the bodies, mouths and gills of larger fishes.
Gobies and blennies are commonly confused. But an easy way to identify them is that gobies have two separate dorsal fins except those known as triple fins, have three sections of their dorsal fins.
In the reefs of the Sea of Cortes is very common to find the blue banded goby: brilliant red body with four to nine electric-blue bars. The head has a clear blue mask that covers must part of it.
The zebra goby is a very similar fish but much difficult to see because is very shy and usually dart deeper into the rock cracks of the reef.
Both fishes are very common to be confused between each other. The zebra goby has also a brilliant red body, but has numerous thin bright blue bands from head to tail.
Today we were able to spot both of them during our dives.
- Juan David, Divemaster onboard the Nautilus Explorer
