Tigrigobius nesiotes (Bussing, 1990)
Brokenhband cleaner goby
Tigrigobius nesiotes
photo by Robertson, R.

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  4.6 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine
Distribution:  Eastern Central Pacific. Costa Rica (Isla del Coco, Galapagos).
Diagnosis:  Distinguished by the following characteristics: small; brightly colored with reds, browns, blues and yellows arranged in spots, bars, or stripes in varying combinations (Ref. 92840).
Biology:  Lives in crevices and deep recesses in the rocks. Like other Elacatinus, this species is a cleaner; it picks parasites from other fishes. In areas of the reef where there is a floor of sand that is protected by an overhanging ledge, reef whitetip sharks may be observed lying about like a stack of cord wood. It is in these areas that this goby lives and it can clean the reef whitetips (Ref. 28023).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 15 September 2022 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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