It lives inside or on the surface of a sponge and occurs in tropical waters in the west central Atlantic Ocean, the Bahamas, the Antilles, and Venezuela.

It seems to live in areas in which the yellowstripe goby (Elacatinus horsti), a closely related species that also inhabits sponges, does not occur.

It feeds on the large number of parasitic worms Haplosyllis spongicola that live on the surface of these sponges.

[4] Like other members of its family, the shortstripe goby does not have a lateral line system, relying instead on sensory organs in the head.

[3] The specific name honours Colonel Edwin M. Chance, a businessman who sponsored the expedition during which the type was collected.