Upside-down Goby, Bryaninops nexus Larson 1987

Other Names: Nexus Goby, Purple Coral Goby

Summary:

A semi-transparent goby with a dusky stripe on the side of the snout, a broad reddish brown stripe to purplish from behind the eye to the top of the abdomen and running along the lower side to the caudal-fin base. The Upside-down Goby usually lives in association with Acropora corals.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2019, Bryaninops nexus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 16 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/1318

Upside-down Goby, Bryaninops nexus Larson 1987

More Info

Distribution	Offshore reefs of Western Australia, Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, and the northerm Great Barrier Reef and Reefs in the Coral Sea, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, east-Indo-west-central Pacific (Indonesia, Japan, Palau). Inhabits lagoon reefs, usually among thickets of the staghorn coral Acropora formosa - either resting on the underside of coral branches or hovering upside-down near or amongst the branches.
Features	Dorsal fin VII + 7-8; Anal fin 1, 7-8; Longitudinal scale series 33-41. Pectoral-fin rays unbranched, not thickened; pelvic disc a shallow cup; gill opening usually reaching to below middle or rear half of eye.
Feeding	Feeds on zooplankton.
Etymology	The specific name nexus is from the Latin "nectere", meaning to tie or bind together, in reference to the characteristic fused nostril rim.
Species Citation	Bryaninops nexus Larson, 1987, The Beagle 4(1): 139, figs 1-3. Type locality: Escape Reef, Queensland.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2019
Resources	Australian Faunal Directory

Upside-down Goby, Bryaninops nexus Larson 1987

References

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 1992. Tropical Reef-Fishes of the Western Pacific, Indonesia and Adjacent Waters. Jakarta : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama 314 pp. pls.

Larson, H.K. 1987. A new species of Bryaninops (Pisces: Gobiidae) with notes on new records of three species of the genus. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 4(1): 139-145 figs 1-3

Masuda, H., Amaoka, K., Araga, C., Uyeno, T. & Yoshino, T. (eds) 1984. The Fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Tokyo : Tokai University Press Vol. 1–2 437 pp. 247 figs 370 pls. ((Pl. 255, N, as Tenacigobius sp.)

Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. A comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia. Guam : Coral Graphics vi 330 pp. 192 pls.