Chad Watts, age 12, of Lynn, Mass., for his question:

IS THERE MORE THAN ONE KIND OF GOBY?

Goby is the common name of s number of small marine or fresh water fish that often have pelvic fins united to form a suctorial disk. Found all over the world, there are more than 700 species of the goby.

Although several tropical species live in coral or in the cavities of living sponges, most gobies live in sand  or mud bottom holes or burrows.

During the spawning period the female goby attaches her eggs to an underwater object. The eggs are then guarded by the male until hatched.

One species, also known as sleepers, sometimes reaches a length of 24 inches. Most species, however, grow no larger than six inches. Two species of goby, found in Luzon, Philippines, are the smallest in length of any vertebrate animals. The dwarf pigmy is less than a half inch in length and the sinarapan goby is only slightly larger.

The sinarapan is regarded as a staple food of superior delicacy. But it takes more than 30,000 of the tiny fish to make up a 16 ounce serving.