Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Naked Goby

NAKED GOBY - Gobiosoma bosc

Description: Naked Gobies are bottom-dwelling fish resembling small lizards. They have large eyes that are set close together on the top of their heads. They are distinguishable by having a round tail, two separate dorsal fins, and fused pelvic fins. These pelvic fins act as suction cups and are used to cling to rocks and shells. The Naked Goby is a small fish with no scales and is smooth to the touch.
Color: Dark greenish brown on top, pale below, and eight to nine dark vertical bars along the side.
Distribution: The naked goby occurs along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Florida, except for extreme south Florida. It also occurs in coastal areas from Florida through Campeche (Mexico) in the Gulf of Mexico.
Size: Up to 2 1/2 inches long.
Habitat: Protected coastal waters and tidal fresh water. The Naked Goby occurs in a variety of generally shallow estuarine habitats like patches of oysters, oyster reef, saltmarsh and bare sand/mud substrate, but it is most abundant in tidepools and subtidal areas with oyster shell.
Remarks: Naked Gobies often use debris such as cans, bottles, and tires as artificial safe havens from predators. It is common to find this small fish inside cans and bottles thrown into the Bay as well as in oyster and clam shells. The Naked Goby is an estuarine-dependent species that is numerically dominant in oyster reef habitats and likely has an integral role in the estuarine food web. Only recently have oyster reefs been formally recognized as essential habitat for finfish and crustacean species of ecological and economic importance and given the designation of Essential Fish Habitat.