Gobionellus Girard, 1858

Genus Gobionellus Girard, 1858 View in CoL

Te genus Gobionellus contains seven recognized species according to Froese and Pauly (2023): three in the East Pacific, three West Atlantic, and one in the East Atlantic. Otoliths are known from Gobionellus liolepis (Meek & Hildebrand, 1928) ( Fig. 44a–b View Fig ), G. dague (Eigenmann, 1918) ( Fig. 44e View Fig ), and G. microdon (Gilbert, 1892)

( Fig. 44g View Fig ) from the East Pacific; G. oceanicus (Pallas, 1770) ( Fig. 44d View Fig ) from the West Atlantic; and G. occidentalis (Boulenger, 1909) from the East Atlantic. Otoliths are not known from the two remaining West Atlantic species, i.e., G. munizi Vergara, 1978 , endemic to Cuba, and G. stomatus Starks, 1913 , endemic to Brazil.

Te otoliths of Gobionellus are characterized by a high-bodied shape (OL:OH= 0.8–1.0) with a much-expanded postdorsal region, a commonly strongly sculptured dorsal rim, a relatively short and somewhat simplified sole-shaped sulcus (OL:SuL =1.8–2.2) with a low inclination angle (3–10°), and the ventral furrow running relatively distant from the ventral rim of the otolith and commonly opening to the anterior-ventral and posterior-ventral rims of the otolith. Te otoliths are usually thin with a concave to flat outer face. A subcaudal iugum is usually not present, except in G. microdon , where it is large and well developed.

Specimens of Gobionellus are collected in shallow estuarine, tide pool, and mangrove environments ( Pezold, 2004).