Smallest Vertebrate

If you are having trouble with your diet, you might want to consider having fish as part of the plan. Since taking more protein is better according to the food pyramid, you might not want to consider this small fish, a very small fish that is.

According to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) media release, the smallest fish, which is also the smallest vertebrate ever found was first discovered by an ichthyologist, Rick Winterbottom whose name is shared with two other species of fishes (Archaeotetraodon winterbottomi and Trimma winterbottomi) for his contributions to the study of Indo-Pacific fishes. He is also fondly called one of the world's leading "gobiologist" for his extensive, ground-breaking work on the fish family Gobiidae, commonly known as gobies.

The common name for this smallest vertebrate is the Dwarf Goby. This fish can be found in the Indian Ocean. Its Latin name is Trimmatom nanus and it belongs to the order Perciformes and family Gobiidae. This cute fish, according to ROM, is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's shortest fish for the record of only 8 mm long. I checked my 1993 international edition and there it was, being the smallest, shortest marine fish and the shortest known vertebrate with the average adult length of 8.6 mm (0.34 inches) for males and 8.9 mm (0.35 inches) for females.

The previous record-holder of the smallest vertebrate was Pandaka Pygmaea, commonly known as the Dwarf Pygmy Goby, which was found in the streams and lakes of Luzon, Philippines. However, it still holds the record of being the shortest and lightest freshwater fish.

Generally, gobies may grow to about 61 cm (24 inches) but most species of gobies can grow no larger than 15 cm (6 inches) long. Most gobies are marine in habit and can be found in the shallow parts of warm oceans. Some prefer to live in burrows in the sand or mud and coral reefs. Some species of gobies are catadromous, which means, they are born in salt water, spend their adult lives in freshwater and then return again to salt water to spawn. During spawning, female gobies will attach their eggs onto underwater objects and then leave the eggs to be guarded by the males until the eggs are hatched.

For more information on gobies, visit Fishbase.org where you can find a list of gobies of the family Gobiidae, their scientific names and species summary including the famous smallest vertebrate, Trimmatom nanus.

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