Gobies: Gobioidei

Gobies are small fishes with a body that is tubular or is narrow from side to side. Most are about 1½ to 4 inches (4 to 10 centimeters) long. Gobies have a short broad head that may be flat on top. The eyes are near the top of the head. There are usually two separate dorsal fins. The pectoral fins are broad and rounded but may be pointed in some species. Each pelvic fin has one spine. The dorsal (DOOR-suhl) fin is the one along the midline of the back. The anal (AY-nuhl) fin is the one along the midline of the belly. The pectoral (PECK-ter-uhl) fins correspond to the front legs and the pelvic fins to the rear legs of four-footed animals. Some gobies have no scales, and some have them only on the rear part of the body. Some gobies are brightly colored, but others are brown or off white. In many gobies the pelvic fins are united to form a suction disk.