Photo copyright Tim Nicholson.
Leopard-spotted goby, Thorogobius ephippiatus
Taken in Port Erin, Isle of Man.
An award-winning photo (best in show) from the Isle of Man Splash-In Competition 2002.
Dark brown or brick red splodges cover this goby. In the photo the pale blue edging to the dorsal fins can be seen, as can the diamond shaped scales. Normally a very shy animal, this is a superb photo of the fish.
Gobies are often confused with blennies. Gobies, however, have two dorsal fins whereas blennies have just one.
Read more on the diving in the Isle of Man.
Further Reading
Dive sites and marine life of the Calf of Man and neighbouring
area by Bill Sanderson, Bruce McGregor and Andrew Brierley, Immel Publishing Ltd, 1994, Paperback.
Great British Marine Animals, by Paul Naylor, Deltor (2011)
The Underwater Photographer: Digital and Traditional Techniques, by by Martin Edge, Paperback, 536 pages (2009)
