Eviota afelei Jordan & Seale, 1906
Afele's dwarfgoby
Eviota afelei
photo by Randall, J.E.

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  1.8 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 0 - 3 m
Distribution:  Pacific Ocean: Ryukyu Islands, Japan; south to Timor Sea and the Great Barrier Reef; east to Oceania and Tuamotus.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 7-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 6-8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: cephalic sensory-canal pore system lacking only the IT pore (pattern 2); branched pectoral-fin rays; dorsal/anal-fin formula is 9/8; the fifth pelvic-fin is ray small or rudimentary (about 10% of 4th pelvic ray); caudal fin has rows of small dark spots set close together on rays, membranes dark; presence of a small dark spot over preural centrum associated with last subcutaneous bar may be present; the scale edges are not dark (Ref. 107299). Description: Translucent grey to greenish color; with narrow, internal, orange-brown bars on body; each scale with dark brownish orange line; head pale grey with vertically elongate orange-brown spots; male with first two dorsal spines sometimes elongate; eleventh to fifteenth pectoral rays usually branched; longitudinal scale series 23-25; ctenoid scales, none on head, nape, chest and base of pectoral fin; separated pelvic fins, thin membrane joining bases; fourth pelvic ray with 6-15 branches; depth of body 4.3-4.8 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Occurs on algal mats of shallow exposed reefs.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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