Awaous banana
(Valenciennes 1837)
Family Gobiidae

Lateral view of river goby
The photo above shows an adult, top, and a juvenile, bottom, river goby. These fish are now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection. Top: UF 183275 Bottom: UF 180975. Photos courtesy of Howard L. Jelks, U.S. Geological Survey.

The river goby is a member of the goby family. It has an elongate, moderately compressed body covered in small scales. The head and mouth are large and the snout is long. The eye is dorsolateral and the lips are thick, with the upper lip projecting beyond the lower. The dorsal and caudal fins are spotted, more prominently in juveniles. The river goby is a marine species, with adults that can be found in large rivers, canals and creeks, and in well-oxygenated flowing waters over areas of loose sand. Larvae develop at sea, and juveniles are usually found in bays or estuaries.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Marine invader
  • Florida Distribution — Western and North Central drainages, South Florida and the Atlantic Coast
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