Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Perciformes

Family: Gobiidae

Subfamily: Gobionellinae

Genus: Awaous

Species: A. banana

Physical Description

Awaous banana, the River goby, is a species of goby native to fresh and brackish water stream and rivers. The body is thin, long, and narrow with a medium-sized round eye and a terminal small mouth. Pectoral fins very short, pelvic fins very short. Dorsal and anal-fin bases short and caudal peduncle sharply narrowing, 10-14 procurrent caudal-fin rays. Melanophores on the head only along the dorsal edge of the anterior premaxilla on each side and midline near the tip of the lower jaw. Ventral melanophores are limited to a paired large melanophore at the mid-base of the anal fin and internal melanophores overlying the posterior swim bladder and extending down to the vent. A large deep internal vertical melanophore underlies the last anal-fin ray extending up to the lateral midline. This species can reach a length of 30 centimetres (12 in). It is important to local commercial fisheries.

Habitat and Distribution

Inhabits clear streams and rivers over sand and gravel, but also found in turbid waters with muddy bottoms. Prefers clear flowing, well oxygenated streams. Found in places like, North, Central and South America: northern Florida, USA southward through the Greater and Lesser Antilles to Trinidad and Tobago, and from Tamaulipas, Mexico southward to Caracas, Venezuela; central Baja California Sur and Sonora, Mexico southward to Tumbes, Peru.

Reference:

http://www.eol.org/pages/1157418/overview

http://www.fishbase.se/summary/50323

http://zipcodezoo.com/index.php/Awaous_banana