Southwestern Goby, Afurcagobius suppositus (Sauvage 1880)


Other Names: South-western Goby

Southwestern Goby, Afurcagobius suppositus. Source: David Morgan / Murdoch University. License: All rights reserved

Summary:
A moderately-sized pale brown to greyish goby found in muddy and silty areas in estuaries and coastal lakes. The Southwestern Goby has 3-5 dark saddles across the back and a broad dark band across the dorsal fin ending in a black blotch. Males have more elongate dorsal and anal-fin rays, a much larger mouth and more bulbous cheeks than females. 

Cite this page as:
Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2021, Afurcagobius suppositus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/63

Southwestern Goby, Afurcagobius suppositus (Sauvage 1880)

More Info


Distribution

Endemic to the southwestern corner of Western Australia between the Denmark and Moore rivers. Inhabits estuaries, coastal lakes and the lower reaches of freshwater streams with muddy and silty substrates, usually in areas with dense aquatic vegetation.

Features

Dorsal fin VI; I, 8; Anal fin I, 7; Pectoral fin 15-16; Pelvic fin I, 5; Tr Sc 10-13 + 1; Vertebrae 11 + 16 = 27.
Body moderately elongate; laterally compressed towards tail; no deepening of caudal peduncle in adults. Snout shallow and long; longer than eye diameter in large adults but shorter in juveniles and smaller adults; juveniles and small adults with small bump on end of snout. Profile of head behind eyes shallow. Anterior nostril tubular, without tentacles; posterior nostril pore-like, midway between anterior nostril and orbit. Eyes dorso-lateral. Mouth horizontal/ superior; jaws subequal, reaching to between pupil and posterior edge of orbit: chin without barbels or transverse fold; teeth erect and caniniform, in several rows medially, outer row in both jaws enlarged; tongue truncate. Branchiostegal membrane attached to lateral margin of isthmus to level of pectoral base.

Lateral scales ctenoid, belly scales small and cycloid; head, including cheek and operculum naked; predorsal scales 0-4, embedded and very small; prepelvic area naked; lateral row of scales 30-38. Lateral line absent; head lateral-line row a1 short.

Two dorsal fins; first ray of first dorsal fin never extended or free at tip. Caudal fin rounded, usually shorter than head. Pectoral fins without free rays, reaching to second dorsal fin. Pelvic fins united into a complete disc, posterior edge rarely to anal fin; anterior membrane complete and well developed.

Size

Reaches about 11 cm SL.

Colour

Pale brown to black dorsally, pale ventrally, with a lateral series of 6-7 dark blotches, first below first dorsal fin largest; 3-4 diffuse bars across nape and heavily pigmented spot on mid-line of nape anterior to dorsal fin; large saddle across first dorsal fin and smaller saddles across second dorsal fin and caudal peduncle. Head usually heavily mottled; pigmented from corner of jaw to below eye and over snout to just behind interorbital and as thin line over cheek and preopercle. Dorsal and caudal fins with series of brown or black reticulating lines; first dorsal with prominent dark spot. Pectoral fin transparent. Pelvic and anal fins pale, darker during breeding season.

Feeding

Primarily a carnivore - feeds on crustaceans, insects, worms, molluscs and small fishes.

Biology

Oviparous benthic spawners. Parents guard the eggs until hatching. Eggs are adhesive and deposited onto hard surfaces such as rocks or logs.

Etymology

The specific name suppositus is from the Latin (= substituted), in reference to this name being a replacement name for Gobius obscurus Castelnau 1873, which is preoccupied by G. obscurus Peters 1855.

Species Citation

Gobius suppositus Sauvage, 1880, Bull. Soc. Philomath. Paris (7)4: 41. Type locality: Swan River, WA.

Author

Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2021

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Southwestern Goby, Afurcagobius suppositus (Sauvage 1880)

References


Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia.  Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.

Castelnau, F.L. de 1873. Contribution to the ichthyology of Australia. 8. Fishes of Western Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria 2: 123-149 (described as Eleotris obscurusSee ref at BHL

Chubb, C.F., Hutchins, J.B., Lenanton, R.C.J. & Potter, I.C. 1979. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Swan-Avon river system, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 8(1): 1-55. (as Favonigobius suppositus)

Gill, H.S. 1993. Description of a new genus of goby from southern Australia, including osteological comparisons with related genera. Records of the Western Australian Museum 16(2): 175-210 figs 1-16 See ref online

Gill, H.S. & Humphries, P. 1995. An experimental evaluation of habitat choice in three species of goby (Pisces : Gobiidae). Records of the Western Australian Museum 17: 231-233.

Gill, H.S. & Potter, I.C. 1993. Spatial segregation amongst goby species within an Australian estuary, with a comparison of the diets and salinity tolerance of the two most abundant species. Marine Biology 117(3): 515-526.

Humphries, P., Hyndes, G.A. & Potter, I.C. 1992. Comparisons between the diets of distant taxa (Teleost and Cormorant) in an Australian estuary. Estuaries 15(3): 327-334.

Lake, J.S. 1971. Freshwater Fishes and Rivers of Australia. Melbourne : Nelson 61 pp.

Macleay, W.J. 1881. Descriptive catalogue of the fishes of Australia. Part 2. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1 5(4): 510-629 pls 13-14 (620, nom. nov. for Eleotris obscurus Castelnau, 1873) See ref at BHL

Morgan, D.L., Beatty, S.J., Klunzinger, M.W., Allen, M.G. & Burnham, Q.E. 2011. A field guide to the freshwater fishes, crayfishes and mussels of south‐western Australia. SERCUL.

Morgan, D.L. & Gill, H.S. 2000. Fish associations within the different inland habitats of lower south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 20: 31-37.

Neira, F.J., Miskiewicz, A.G. & Trnski, T. 1998. Larvae of temperate Australian fishes: laboratory guide for larval fish identification. Nedlands, Western Australia : University of Western Australia press 474 pp.

Sauvage, H.E. 1880. Description des gobioides nouveaux ou peu connus de la collection du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle. Bulletin de la Société Philomathique de Paris 7 4: 40-58. See ref at BHL

Whitley, G.P. 1929. Studies in Ichthyology No. 3. Records of the Australian Museum 17(3): 101-143 figs 1-5 pls 30-34 https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.17.1929.757 (described as Glossogobius vomer)

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37428143

Behaviour:Burrowing

Habitat:Estuaries, coastal lakes, freshwater streams

Max Size:11 cm SL

Native:Endemic

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CAAB distribution map