Yellowfin Goby (Acanthogobius flavimanus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Yellowfin Goby is an East Asian fish that lives on sandy or muddy bottoms where river water meets the sea. Yellowfin Goby has rows of dark spots on its rounded tail and eats small animals on the bottom.

Appearance

Appearance: This goby has a broad head, a rounded tail with rows of dark spots, and a mouth that ends before the back of the eye. It can reach about 12 in (30 cm).

Look-alikes

Longjaw MudsuckerGillichthys mirabilis

Check the mouth in a clear side photo: the Yellowfin Goby's mouth stops before the back of the eye, while the Longjaw Mudsucker (Gillichthys mirabilis) has a mouth that reaches back toward the gills.

Why they get mixed upBoth are large gobies of California .

Where it lives

Typical habitats: California estuaries
muddy bays
river deltas
Range: Native to East Asia, it was first recorded in California's Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta in 1963. It now occurs around San Francisco Bay and other California coastal waters.
Preferred conditions: It lives near the bottom in fresh, brackish, and salt water.

Behavior

Diet: In California estuaries, it eats animals without backbones that live on the bottom and small fish.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: Around San Francisco Bay, bait sellers have grouped it with other fish under the name “mudsucker.”

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