Larson’s Tiny Sandgoby, Grallenia larsonae Allen & Hammer 2018


Other Names: Larson' Tiny Sandgoby

Larson’s Tiny Sandgoby, Grallenia larsonae, at Manowar Island, NW of Mornington Island, Gulf of Carpentaria, November 2015 (this may be an image of G. lauensis). Source: denrock / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:
A tiny pale sand-colored goby, mottled with darker blotches, a series of 8 yellow spots along the side, fine red spots along the dorsal midline of the body, and bright yellow fins.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Grallenia larsonae in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1304

Larson’s Tiny Sandgoby, Grallenia larsonae Allen & Hammer 2018

More Info


Distribution

Endemic to northern Australia, from the Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia, to coastal and insular locations of the Northern Territory, eastward to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. 
Occurs on sand and rubble bottoms, in habitats ranging from sand flats, isolated coral knolls, reef slopes, and reef edge/fringing reef with scattered corals, at depths to 15 m.

Features

Dorsal fin VII, 7-8; Anal fin I, 7-8; Vertebrae 10+17-18=27.
Dorsal-fin spines not elongated in either sex; second dorsal fin not reaching caudal-fin base when adpressed, length of longest ray 14.0-17.6% of SL; length of longest anal-fin ray 8.9-13.3% of SL; scales on body extending anteriorly to just behind pectoral-fin base; weak, low pelvic frenum; pectoral fin length 20.7-25.9% of SL; caudal-peduncle length 24.6-28.6% of SL.

Colour

In preservative: tan with 8 widely spaced, small, brown spots in mid-lateral row on side of body; faint dark bar of stellate melanophores across anterior cheek; scattered pepper-like melanophores on anterior part of upper opercle

Similar Species

Differs from the closely related Grallenia arenicola from southern Japan in having relatively few scales anterior to the level of the second dorsal fin origin, and those are usually restricted to a single row (vs. numerous scales that continue forward to the pectoral-fin base in G. arenicola). 

Etymology

The species is named in honour of Helen K. Larson, for her extensive contribution to goby taxonomy and systematics, and who collected and carefully preserved most of the type specimens.

Species Citation

Grallenia larsonae Allen & Hammer 2018, J. Ocean Sci. Foundation 31: 89, Figs 204. Type locality: Western Australia, Monte Bello Islands, west side of Trimouille Island, -20.4053°, 115.5658°, 8–15 m.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2022

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Larson’s Tiny Sandgoby, Grallenia larsonae Allen & Hammer 2018

References


Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2017. Description of five new species of marine gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae) of the genus Grallenia from the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 27: 20–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.842879 (Australian material tentatively identified as Grallenia arenicola)

Allen, G.R. & Hammer, M.P. 2018. Grallenia larsonae, a new species of sandgoby (Pisces: Gobiidae) from northern Australia. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 31: 87-96. http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1492882

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293 (as Grallenia arenicola)

Moore, G.I., Morrison, S.M., Hutchins, B.J., Allen, G.R. & Sampey, A. 2014. Kimberley marine biota. Historical data: fishes. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 84: 161-206 (as Grallenia arenicola)

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37428416

Depth:1-15 m

Habitat:Reef associated, sand & rubble areas

Max Size:1.8 cm SL

Native:Endemic

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map