Girdled Goby, Nesogobius maccullochi Hoese & Larson 2006


A male Girdled Goby, Nesogobius maccullochi, in Port Phillip, Victoria. Source: Rudie H. Kuiter / Aquatic Photographics. License: All rights reserved

Summary:

A pale grey to brown sand goby, with scattered white and brown flecks; a black bar from eye across middle of jaws; a black vertical bar from eye to just behind rear end of jaw; vertical bar on gill cover; midside with 4-6 horizontally elongate dark brown spots; a round black spot at rear end of caudal peduncle, followed by and often connected to black vertical mark at tail base

Mature males have narrow vertical bars on the side that extend onto the paler belly.


Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2021, Nesogobius maccullochi in Fishes of Australia, accessed 28 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2252

Girdled Goby, Nesogobius maccullochi Hoese & Larson 2006

More Info


Distribution

Endemic to southern Australia, from the Gippsland Lakes, Victoria, to Tourville Bay, Great Australian Bight, South Australia, and around Tasmania.

Inhabits sandy areas in bays and estuaries, at depths to 5 m. This species is abundant in Port Phillip, Victoria, usually in or near seagrass beds.

Features

Dorsal fin  VI-VIII + I, 8-9; Anal fin I, 7-9; Caudal fin (segmented rays) 13 (no branched rays); Pectoral fin 17-21; Pelvic fin I, 5; Gill rakers (first arch) 0-1 + 3-5 = 4-6.

Body robust anteriorly, slender posteriorly; head broader than deep, eyes almost touching; gill openings broad; several large sensory pores on head; top of head scaled to behind eyes.

Size

 To 9 cm.

Colour

Pale grey to brown, with scattered white and brown flecks; a black bar from eye across middle of jaws; a black vertical bar from eye to just behind rear end of jaw; vertical bar on gill cover; midside with 4-6 horizontally elongate dark brown spots; a round black spot at rear end of caudal peduncle, followed by and often connected to black vertical mark at tail base; mature males with vertical bars on body onto belly; pale below.

Feeding

Feeds on small crustaceans such as amphipods.

Similar Species

Nesogobius maccullochi has often been misidentified as Nesogobius hinsbyi. The species differs from N. hinsbyi in having head pores (absent in N. hinsbyi), opercular scales dorsally only (versus operculum completely scaled), normally with seven dorsal-fin spines (versus usually eight) and second dorsal-fin rays usually I, 8–9 (versus I, 9–10).

Etymology

The species is named for Allan R. McCulloch, former Curator of Fishes at the Australian Museum. The name is given not only in recognition of his work, but indicates that this is the species which McCulloch and Ogilby confused under the name Gobius hinsbyi.

Species Citation

Nesogobius maccullochi Hoese & Larson, 2006, Mem. Mus. Vict. 63(1): 10, figs 5-7. Type locality: Pinalong Bay, Tasmania.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2021

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Girdled Goby, Nesogobius maccullochi Hoese & Larson 2006

References


Hammer, M.P., Hoese, D.F. & Bertozzi, T. 2015. A new species of near-shore marine goby (Pisces: Gobiidae: Nesogobius) from Kangaroo Island, Australia. Zootaxa 4057(3): 371–384.  http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4057.3.4

Henry, B.A. & Jenkins, G.P. 1995. The impact of predation by the girdled goby, Nesogobius sp. 1, on abundances of meiofauna and small macrofauna. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 191(2): 223-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(95)00061-U

Hoese, D.F. & Larson, H.K. 1994. Family Gobiidae. pp. 781-810, figs 690-714 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. (as Nesogobius sp. 1)

Hoese, D.F. & Larson, H.K. 2006. Description of two new species of Nesogobius (Pisces: Gobioidei: Gobiidae) from southern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63(1): 7-13 http://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.2006.63.2

Hoese, D.F. & Larson, H.K. 2008. Family Gobiidae. pp. 749-773 in Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Last, P.R., Scott, E.O.G. & Talbot, F.H. 1983. Fishes of Tasmania. Hobart : Tasmanian Fisheries Development Authority 563 pp. figs. (as Nesogobius sp. 1)

McCulloch, A.R. & Ogilby, J.D. 1919. Some Australian fishes of the family Gobiidae. Records of the Australian Museum 12(10): 193-291 figs 31-37 (in part, figured specimen)

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37428195

Depth:0-5 m

Habitat:Sandy, seagrass areas

Max Size:9 cm

Native:Endemic

Species Image Gallery

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map