Fire-eye Goby, Yoga pyrops (Whitley 1954)


Illustration of the holotype of Yoga pyrops. Source: Gilbert Whitley, Fig. 4 in Whitley (1954) Proc Roy Zool Soc NSW 1952–53: 23-30 figs 1-5 / Biodiversity heritage Library. License: CC BY Attribution


Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2021, Yoga pyrops in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/183

Fire-eye Goby, Yoga pyrops (Whitley 1954)

More Info


Distribution

Endemic to northern Australia from Darwin, Northern Territory, to Clearview, north of Rockhampton, Queensland.

Features

From the original description:
Dorsal fin VI,12; Anal fin 11; Pectoral fin 16; Pelvic fin I,5; Caudal fin 13 main rays.
No predorsal scales (except in young).    Head (21mm.) 3.7, depth (16) 4.9, breadth of body (12) 6.5 in  standard length (78). Eye, 4mm; snout, 6; postorbital, 12; interorbital,  3.2; depth of caudal peduncle, 10; depth of gill-opening, 11; predorsal  length, 24. 
No ocular tentacle or nuchal crest, barbels or fleshy flaps. Head  rather tumid and bulbous; profile convex. Head, pectoral base and  much of breast naked. Rows of minute genipores. Upper lip exposed;  lower jaw slightly jutting; tip of maxillary ensheathed; mouth barely  reaching below front of eye, not opening widely. Teeth of both jaws  in several rows, the outer of which is enlarged with conic teeth, largest  anteriorly and halfway along sides of lower jaw where the canines  cease. Tongue rounded, not notched. Interorbital tumid, with one  central pore, followed by another in the median line. Anterior nostril  with short tube. Groove from eye to top of opercle. Chin transversely  folded. Eyes mostly in anterior third of head, pyriform, apex towards interorbital. Isthmus broad.    Form rather rounded in transverse section and slightly compressed. Scales ctenoid. Anal papilla small. 
Dorsal spines slender,  the sixth separated from the group of the first five, third longest (14mm). Dorsal bases contiguous. Anal rays fringed. No silky  pectoral rays. Pelvics not reaching vent. Caudal irregularly rounded, shorter than head.  

Colour

In formalin, pale yellow with indistinct small light brown patches along back (six double patches each side of dorsal fins) and along midline of sides. A few short grey bars on opercle, which has a diffuse blue patch. Eye blue. Dorsal with brown spots and flecks; few dark spots on first dorsal spine. Anal infuscated (tinged) brown, with pink margin. Fins mostly pale. 
The smaller Australian Museum paratypes have five conspicuous dark blotches along middle of each side; the posterior dorsal and upper caudal rays are dark-spotted.

Etymology

The specific name pyrops is from the Latin pirum (= pear) and the Greek ops (= eye), in reference to the pear-shaped or "pyriform" eyes of this species.

Species Citation

Ctenogobius (Yoga) pyrops Whitley 1954, Proc. Roy. Zool. Soc. N. S. W. 1952–53: 26, fig. 4. Type locality: Karumba, Queensland.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2021

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Fire-eye Goby, Yoga pyrops (Whitley 1954)

References


Larson, H.K. & Murdy, E.O. 2001. Eleotridae, Gobiidae. pp. 3574-3604 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218. (as Acentrogobius pyrops)

Whitley, G.P. 1954. New locality records for some Australian fishes. Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 1952–53: 23-30 figs See ref at BHL

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37428292

Depth:to 10 m

Habitat:Soft sediment areas

Max Size:9 cm

Native:Endemic

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