Phyllogobius platycephalops (Smith, 1964)
Slender spongegoby
Phyllogobius platycephalops
photo by Brett, O.J. / www.tropicalfavourites.com

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  5 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 2 - 18 m
Distribution:  Western Indian Ocean: Mozambique. Western Central Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 7-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Translucent, very finely dotted with red or black; two indistinct longitudinal rows of reddish dashes on back and one along lateral line; red line from upper lip to eye; a U-shaped reddish mark on each side of occiput behind eye (Ref. 27362). Caudal fin rounded (Ref. 27362); characterized further by having an extremely flattened head; unrestricted gill opening; unbranched 6-9 lowermost pectoral rays and thickened distally; longitudinal scale series 28-37; predorsal scales 10-13; depth of body at anus 5.1-9.4 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Inhabits coral reefs (Ref. 42915). Commensal on foliaceous flattened sponges (Phyllospongia) (Ref. 27362, 48637).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 20 June 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.