Elizabeth Springs Goby, Chlamydogobius micropterus Larson 1995

Summary:

A small greyish to greenish-brown goby with paler sides, and a cream to white belly. Mature males become golden-brown, with a pale yellow margin and a pale blue spot on the rear edge of the first dorsal fin. The other fins are bluish-grey with a whitish-blue margin.

Cite this page as:

Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2025, Chlamydogobius micropterus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 27 Jun 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/1326

Elizabeth Springs Goby, Chlamydogobius micropterus Larson 1995

More Info

Distribution	Known from a single locality, Elizabeth Springs, within the Diamantina River Catchment. The springs are a natural outlet of the Great Artesian Basin in western Queensland. Inhabits shallow marshy, vegetated pools fed by the low mound springs. Individuals shelter around emergent vegetation during the day, and have been seen foraging away from cover during the night.
Features	Dorsal fin III-VI; I, 6-8; Anal fin I, 5-7; Caudal fin (segmented rays) 15-17 (branched rays) 13-16; Pectoral fin 11-13; Pelvic fin I, 5; horizontal scale rows 12-17; midlateral scales 37-42; predorsal scales 14-22; Gill rakers 1-2 + 6 = 7-8; Vertebrae 10-11 + 17-18 = 27-29. Body somewhat rounded anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. Head short, somewhat rounded, length 3.3-3.6 in SL. Snout rounded to somewhat flattened, not overhanging upper lip. Anterior nostril in very short tube, on edge of preorbital, tube oriented down and forward, preorbital curved forward slightly to accommodate nostril. Posterior nostril oval, between front edge of eye and edge of preorbital, closer to eye. Eyes lateral, high on head, top usually part of dorsal profile, 3.2-4.2 in HL. Interorbital broad, flat; top of head, from rear of interorbital space up to snout tip, sometimes with fine villi. Lips usually smooth, lower lip free at sides, fused across front. Mouth terminal, slightly oblique, reaching to below front half of eye in both sexes; teeth of upper jaw in about 3 rows, outermost larger than others, stout and curved or almost upright, others slightly smaller; teeth of lower jaw in about 4 rows; tips of teeth often tinted translucent pale brown; teeth similar in males and females; tongue usually blunt. Gill opening restricted to pectoral base; inner edge of shoulder girdle smooth. Scales on body mostly cycloid, ctenoid scales restricted to patch under pectoral fin; ctenii weak; predorsal scales evenly small, cycloid, usually reaching forward to at least above preopercular margin or to behind eyes, 14-22 in front of dorsal; operculum with patch of small cycloid scales on upper third to half; cheek naked; pectoral fin base covered with few cycloid scales; prepelvic area with small cycloid scales posteriorly, anterior portion often naked; belly usually with patch of ctenoid scales under pelvics, remainder cycloid, or all cycloid. Lateral line absent; lateral scale series 35-47. Head pores absent. Fins small, especially first dorsal; 2 dorsal fins, first reduced, somewhat pointed, longest spine not much longer than eye width; second dorsal and anal fins very low, with short bases, last rays falling far short of caudal fin when depressed. Pectoral fin rounded. Pelvic fins united into complete disc, small, rounded to oval, occasionally reaching half to two thirds distance to anus. Caudal fin rounded.
Size	To around 3 cm SL.
Colour	Greyish yellow, with white abdomen; some scales yellowish white forming irregular marbled pattern on upper half of body; dense, dark brown spots widely scattered over body, a few on dorsal surface of head mostly restricted to scaled part of nape; brown spots larger and more evenly spaced midlaterally on sides posteriorly; largest spot at centre of caudal fin base. Head mostly plain, with broad dark-margined pale brownish bar from below eye to behind jaws; opercle with brownish markings and yellowish white-margined scales; snout, jaws and lower half of head pale yellowish white; iris pale golden with brownish margin. First dorsal fin apparently yellowish grey anteriorly with large bright blue spot covering most of it; second dorsal fin with membranes mostly translucent and some dusky barring; fin rays yellowish grey. Anal fin grey with white margin. Caudal fin translucent yellowish grey, uppermost fin rays nearly whitish. Pectoral fin whitish.
Feeding	Omnivore - feeds insects, crustaceans, algae, fish eggs and detritus.
Biology	Oviparous, benthic spawners. Spawning occurs during summer and females deposit adhesive eggs into rocky crevices. Males guard the eggs, fanning them almost constantly until hatching. This reproductive information has been determined from captive populations, as spawning has not been seen in the wild.
Conservation	IUCN Red List : Critically Endangered The habitat is threatened by the extraction of water from the Great Artesian Basin by man-made bores. The flow rate of water from the mound springs has reduced by approximately 70% - resulting in the loss of considerable goby habitat. The springs were fenced in 1993-94 to preserve habitat quality by excluding cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, feral goats, feral pigs and native animals, which grazed the springs and pools. A captive breeding program has been established to ensure the survival of the species.
Remarks
Similar Species	The Elizabeth Springs Goby differs from other species of Chlamydogobius in having a less intense coloration, and reduced fins with fewer spines.
Etymology	The specific name is from the Greek, micropterus (= small fin), in reference to the reduced first dorsal fin of this species.
Species Citation	Chlamydogobius micropterus Larson 1995, The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 12: 35, figs 3–4, 9–10. Type locality: Elizabeth Springs, Queensland.
Author	Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2025
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Elizabeth Springs Goby, Chlamydogobius micropterus Larson 1995

References

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

Kerezsy, A., Unmack, P. & Wager, R. 2019. Chlamydogobius micropterus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T4698A129047546. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T4698A129047546.en. Accessed on 27 May 2025.

Larson, H.K. 1995. A review of the Australian endemic gobiid fish genus Chlamydogobius with descriptions of five new species. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 12: 19-51 figs 1-14 pls 1-2

Larson, H.K. 2001. A revision of the gobiid fish genus Mugilogobius (Teleostei: Gobioidei), and its systematic placement. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 62: 1-233

Mossop, K.D., Lemmon, A.R., Lemmon, E.M., Eytan, R., et al. 2023. Phylogenomics and biogeography of arid-adapted Chlamydogobius goby fishes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 182: 107757, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107757

Unmack, P.J. 2001. Biogeography of Australian freshwater fishes. Journal of Biogeography 28: 1053-1089

Unmack, P.J. & Wager, R. 2007. Threatened Fishes of the World: Chlamydogobius micropterus Larson, 1995 (Gobiidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes. 80(4): 489-490.