Cling Goby
Pleurosicya micheli
- Usual depth8–34 m
- Water temperature23–30 °C
- Best monthsApril, May, and August
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Gregor Bailar, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Pleurosicya micheli, commonly known as Michel's ghost goby or stony coral ghost goby, is a species of gobies native to the Indo-Pacific. Pleurosicya micheli is a small fish that can be found in tropical marine environments where it is abundant with corals. The geographic distribution of Pleurosicya micheli extends from the Indo-west Pacific region, from the Seychelles to Fiji and Hawaiian Islands. They are commonly called Michel's ghost goby, stony coral ghost, cling goby, stony coral ghost goby.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Pleurosicya micheli”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 18 records
- February: 4 records
- March: 13 records
- April: 23 records
- May: 19 records
- June: 14 records
- July: 6 records
- August: 21 records
- September: 9 records
- October: 13 records
- November: 13 records
- December: 8 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 8–34 m · Deepest record: 43 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 23–30 °C
Photos
(c) Storm Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) 呂一起(Lyu yi-chi), some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Pauline Walsh Jacobson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) 呂一起(Lyu yi-chi), some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Cling Goby, Coral Goby, Michael's Ghostgoby, Michel's Ghost Goby, Michel's Goby, Porites Ghostgoby, Stony Coral Ghost Goby
Names in 3 more languages
- French
- Gobie de Michel
- Japanese
- Akasujiumitakehaze, アカスジウミタケハゼ
- Simplified Chinese
- 米氏腹瓢鰕虎, 米氏腹瓢鰕虎魚
Other scientific names: Pleurosycia micheli
Similar species
Common Ghost GobyPleurosicya mossambica
Black-chest Shrimp-gobyAmblyeleotris guttata
Steinitz' gobyAmblyeleotris steinitzi
Barred ShrimpgobyAmblyeleotris wheeleri
Banded GobyAmblygobius phalaena
Bluespotted GobyAsterropteryx semipunctata
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 199 open-data records from 1978 to 2023.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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