Elacatinus chancei

Lore & Background

The shortstripe goby is a slender fish reaching about 5 cm in length. Its dorsal fin is divided into two parts, with seven spines and 12 soft rays, while the anal fin lacks spines and has ten soft rays. The body is translucent pale grey, marked by a bright yellow line that starts at the eye and runs to near the pectoral fin. This yellow line is bordered above and below by black lines that converge and continue as a broad stripe to the tail fin. The gill covers and skin under the eyes are often suffused with pink.

This species inhabits tubular sponges such as Verongia aerophoba or massive sponges like Neofibularia nolitangere. It feeds on the parasitic worm Haplosyllis spongicola that lives on the sponge surface. The goby spends most of its time inside the osculi of the sponge but occasionally rests on the outer surface. Like other gobies, it lacks a lateral line system and relies on sensory organs in the head.

The shortstripe goby occurs in the tropical western Atlantic, including the Southern Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Caicos Islands, the Lesser Antilles, Aves Island, and some small islands near Venezuela. It appears to live in areas where the closely related yellowstripe goby (Elacatinus horsti) does not occur.

Reader's Guide

The shortstripe goby represents a specialized niche within coral reef ecosystems, living in close association with sponges. Its reliance on sponges for shelter and its diet of parasitic worms that infest sponge surfaces illustrate a finely tuned ecological relationship. The species is named after Colonel Edwin M. Chance, a businessman who sponsored the expedition during which the type specimen was collected. Its distribution in the tropical western Atlantic, particularly in areas where the similar yellowstripe goby is absent, suggests competitive exclusion or habitat partitioning between these closely related sponge-dwelling gobies. The shortstripe goby's lack of a lateral line system, relying instead on head sensory organs, is typical of its family. Its translucent coloration with bold yellow and black stripes likely serves as camouflage or disruptive coloration within the sponge environment. The species remains a subject of interest for studies on sponge-associated fish communities and the evolutionary dynamics of gobies in the Caribbean region.

Did You Know?

• The shortstripe goby grows to about 5 cm in length.
• The species was named after Colonel Edwin M. Chance, who sponsored the expedition that collected the type specimen.
• It lacks a lateral line system, relying instead on sensory organs in the head.