GOBIIDAE


Valenciennea randalli, 4.6 cm SL
(photo by Ukkrit Satapoomin)


Valenciennea randalli
Hoese and Larson, 1994
Randall's Goby

D VI + I, 16-18; A I, 16-18; P1 19-21; LR 74-89; PDS 0.

Body moderately elongate, compressed. Head slightly compressed; lower jaw not projecting anteriorly beyond upper jaw; gill opening relatively narrow, restricted to pectoral-fin base. Third spine of first dorsal fin elongate and filamentous, forming pointed fin; pelvic fins separated; frenum absent; caudal fin rhomboid. Scales small ctenoid, excepting those on belly, prepelvic region and pectoral-fin base, if present, cycloid; head naked. Sensory canals and pores present on head; longitudinal pattern of sensory-papillae rows on cheek. Color: head and body pale gray or pale beige, with broad bright sky stripe from upper lip to operculum, narrowly edged by yellow dorsoventrally; narrow longitudinal faint yellow stripe on body. Size: 10.0 cm SL. Distribution: Andaman Sea and West Pacific. Remarks: found on flat sandy-mud bottoms with rubbles in coral slopes.