Family GOBIIDAE

Common name: Gobies, Dartfishes, Wormfishes

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Summary:

The family Gobiidae is the largest family of marine fishes, with more than 1700 described species in more than 260 genera (Eschmeyer & Fong 2013) - representing almost 10% percent of all fish species. More than 90 genera and 330 described species are found in Australian waters.

Gobies are mostly small, bottom-dwelling cryptic fishes with pelvic fins usually united into a cup-shaped disc positioned below or just behind the pectoral-fin bases, two separate dorsal fins, and no lateral line.

They are abundant worldwide in tropical to temperate marine, estuarine and freshwater environments, mostly on the continental shelf, but also on the continental slope to depths below 1100 m. Some live above the high tide on mudflats, some build elaborate burrows, some live only in caves, others live inside sponges or on corals, and some freshwater species are able to climb waterfalls.

Gobies have a variety of reproductive modes and some are hermaphroditic, changing sex throughout their life cycle. Adults range in size from 1.5 to 50 cm TL, although most are 3-10 cm in length.

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