Banded Goby

Amblygobius phalaena

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gobiiformes
Family: Gobiidae
Genus: Amblygobius
Species: Amblygobius phalaena

The banded goby (Amblygobius phalaena) is a medium-sized sand goby with dark vertical bars and a dark spot on its first dorsal fin. Its greenish-brown body is often marked with fine blue lines on the head.

It grows to about 12-15 cm and lives in pairs near a burrow on sand, rubble and seagrass. It sifts sand through its mouth and gills to feed on small invertebrates and algae, and dashes into its burrow when alarmed.

The banded goby is common across the western Pacific, including the Philippines, where it is found in shallow sandy and rubble areas.