Rusty goby (Priolepis hipoliti)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Priolepis hipoliti
- Common name
- Rusty goby
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Gobiidae
- Genus
- Priolepis
- Size
- 2–4 cm
- Depth
- 2–40 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- reef, cave
- Behaviours
- solitary, cryptic
- Ocean zones
- Caribbean, Eastern Pacific
Description
Priolepis hipoliti reaches 4 cm. Tiny goby with a rust-red to orange body crossed by fine darker vertical bands. Lives perched upside-down on ceilings of small caves, under shaded coral overhangs and in hollow Caribbean sponges between 2 and 40 m. Typical posture: perched on pectorals, sometimes inverted. Rare and hard to find but rewarding for macro photographers.
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Rusty goby?
- Rusty goby (Priolepis hipoliti) reaches 2–4 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Rusty goby?
- Rusty goby is found between 2–40 m deep.
- Is the Rusty goby dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Rusty goby?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Rusty goby?
- Found in: Caribbean, Eastern Pacific.
Other species in the family Gobiidae
- Gobius vittatus - Striped goby
- Gobius bucchichi - Bucchich's goby
- Gobius cruentatus - Red-mouthed goby
- Chromogobius zebratus - Kolombatovic's goby
- Elacatinus oceanops - Neon goby
- Elacatinus evelynae - Sharknose goby
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 276769)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2378467)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia