GOBIIDAE


Vanderhorstia ambanoro, 6.8 cm SL
(photo by Ukkrit Satapoomin)


Vanderhorstia ambanoro
(Fourmanoir, 1957)
Ambanoro Shrimpgoby

D VI+I, 13; A I, 13; P1 17-19; LR 73-85; PDS 0.

Body elongate, compressed. Head subcylindrical; lower jaw slightly projecting anteriorly beyond upper jaw; gill opening wide, extending anteriorly to well beyond a vertical line through posterior margin of preopercle. First dorsal fin near rectangular, without elongate spines; pelvic fins united medially; frenum present; caudal fin oblong, longer than head. Scales on body cycloid; head naked. Sensory canals and pores present on head; longitudinal pattern of sensorypapillae rows on cheek; a pair of sensory papillae just behind chin. Color: ground color of head and body pale gray or pale beige, darkened dorsally; many black spots on operculum and dorsal half of body. Size: 6.0 cm SL. Distribution: Indo Pacific. Remarks: found on sandy-mud or soft mud bottoms in protected bays; symbiotically associated with alpheid shrimps.