Gobius geniporus Valenciennes, 1837 (Fig. 55)—Slender Goby

Gobius geniporus Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1837: 32, type locality: Mediterranean Sea, Italy .

Size. Known adult size about 14–16 cm total length.

Morphology. D VI + I,12–14; A I,11–12; P 17–19. Large goby with a long body, moderately long snout with a shallow profile. Caudal peduncle deep, but lower than body depth. Dorsal fins of similar height, the first dorsal fin with more or less rounded edge and no elongated spines. Caudal fin rounded. Scales small, visible on body and predorsal area as dense pattern. Predorsal area and nape scaled (Miller 1986).

Live coloration. Body ground coloration whitish with beige to pale brown speckling with a longitudinal series of 5 rectangular dark blotches alternating with smaller, paler and less rectangular brown markings along lateral midline (Fig. 55). Body below the lateral midline white with diffuse brown speckles, or with a longitudinal series of small brown blotches (Fig. 55). Usually a large dark or shaded area below eye, often containing 2 dark bars. Some specimens with dorsal fins intensively patterned with large brown to reddish spots, sometimes coalescing to form longitudinal bands, and terminated by a white margin. Caudal fin with brown spots. Head sensory papillae black and visible (Renoult et al. 2022).

Similar species. Gobius gasteveni, G. roulei .

Habitat. Infralittoral species, known from 1–40 m depth on sandy or gravel bottoms nearby rock beds or seagrass (Louisy 2015; Patzner 2021).

Geographic distribution. Mediterranean, including the Sea of Marmara and Cyprus (Miller 1986; Kovačić & Golani 2007a).