Animalia Life

Gobioides broussoneti
FAMILY
Gobiidae
TAXONOMY
Gobioides broussonnetii Lacepede, 1800, Suriname.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
German: Lila Aalgrundel; Spanish: Lamprea; Portuguese: Aimore.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
To about 21.6 in (55 cm) total length. The body is elongate and eel-like. Dorsal fins united to form a long continuous fin confluent with the caudal fin. Anal fin also connected to caudal fin. The caudal fin is long and pointed. Pelvic fins are united to form a concave disk. The mouth is large and oblique. The eyes are small and high on the head. The body and head are purple brown, the abdomen and underside of the head are white. A series of dark chevrons, angled forward, extends along the sides.
DISTRIBUTION
Western Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean coasts of the Americas, extending from Brunswick County, North Carolina, to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Also on coasts of Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.
HABITAT
Lives on muddy bottoms and in burrows; inhabits tidal freshwater and low salinity estuaries offshore from large rivers; one individual was found 298.5 ft (91 m) off the Mississippi River in Louisiana.
BEHAVIOR
No published information is available, but some is forthcoming from the aquarium trade. Males display for females before spawning by raising and lowering the dorsal fin, and swimming in and around the potential nest site. Males become territorial after spawning and guard the nest.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
The long coiled gut suggests that it feeds on diatoms, algae, and tiny invertebrates sifted from sediments.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
In the aquarium, spawning may last 12–24 hours. Eggs are deposited in nests under an object, presumably within a burrow in the wild. Eggs hatch in 36–38 hours. Males usually guard the fry until they swim freely.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
No commercial fishing values, but becoming an increasing part of the aquarium trade because of its interesting appearance.

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