On the sand

  

 

Recently I spent some time sitting and watching some Tidewater Gobies (Eucyclogobius newberryi). Here's a selection of photos, showing how well camouflaged they are against the sand.

 

 

 

 

The females develop darker fins:

 

 

 

 

A close-up of the eyes with beautiful chromatophores:

 

 

 

 

At home on the sand:

 

 

 

Mottled like sand

 

Arrow Goby (Clevelandia ios), Bodega Harbor, 18 July 2019

I was looking for Ghost Shrimp on the tidal flats today and noticed a few Arrow Gobies.  Fun to see them up close!

Their common name describes their long slender bodies (and ios is Greek for "arrow").

 

Their genus, Clevelandia, was named after Mark Cleveland, a co-founder of the San Diego Society of Natural History.

Arrow Gobies are small — this one was ~2 inches (6.3 cm) long.  They live in the burrows of other invertebrates, such as Ghost Shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis), Blue Mud Shrimp (Upogebia pugettensis), and Innkeeper Worms (Urechis caupo).  Check out the beautiful colors and patterns on their eyes and face: