Green Riffle Goby
Stiphodon elegans
- Least concern
- Card rarity: Common
- Fish
Stiphodon elegans, commonly known as the Green Riffle Goby, is a species of freshwater goby. They can live from 3–8 years, but they still remain small throughout their lifespans, only growing to up to 5cm. Their physical appearance is described as small and elongated, with raised, slightly dorsal-set eyes, a pelvic sucker, which is a suction-like fin derived from a fused set of pelvic fins, and a subterminal mouth. Within their mouths, they have many rows of long, thin, sharp, densely packed polyphyodont teeth. They also have modified, hook-like structures on their pharyngeal jaw. The purpose behind this characteristic is not entirely clear, but is possibly correlated with their feeding behavior in their rocky habitats.
Classification
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Gobiiformes
- Family
- Oxudercidae
- Genus
- Stiphodon