About Nes longus (Nichols, 1914)
The orangespotted goby, Nes longus, is a species of goby that is native to the tropical Atlantic coast. Its distribution ranges from Bermuda and southern Florida, through the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, and extends south to the Caribbean coasts of Venezuela and Colombia. This species prefers silty bottoms located around reefs, and lives specifically on unvegetated silty substrates in waters less than 9 metres (30 ft) deep. It is the only known member of the genus Nes. This goby forms a commensal, symbiotic relationship with the snapper shrimp Alpheus floridanus. It shares a burrow with a usually paired set of host shrimps, and is dependent on the shrimps' burrow for cover. The goby interacts closely with its host shrimps, and acts as a sentinel by watching for predators from the burrow's entrance. This species can reach a maximum total length of 10 centimetres (3.9 in). Its diet consists mainly of small gastropods, decapods, ostracods and isopods.
