Yellow Coralgoby, Gobiodon okinawae Sawada, Arai & Abe 1972

Other Names: Okinawa Goby, Yellow Coral Goby

A Yellow Coralgoby, Gobiodon okinawae, in an aquarium at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Source: Phil Munday / Lizard Island Field Guide, http://lifg.australianmuseum.net.au/. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:

A small bright yellow coralgoby, sometimes with a pale patch on the cheek. Juveniles are whitish with a dark internal stripe, and have spots on the head and tail
A group of Yellow Coralgobies in an aquarium.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2025, Gobiodon okinawae in Fishes of Australia, accessed 21 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/2231

Yellow Coralgoby, Gobiodon okinawae Sawada, Arai & Abe 1972

More Info

Distribution	Offshore reefs of north Western Australia, and Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, to North Solitary Island, New South Wales: also Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean, and the Lord Howe Province in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, Indo-west-central Pacific: Cocos-Keeling Islands to the Marshall Islands, north to Japan, south to the Solomon Islands. Inhabits sheltered reefs, living in association with tabular Acropora corals, usually occupying the outer edges of coral colonies, where they are often easily seen.
Features	Dorsal fin VI + I, 10-11; Anal fin I, 9; Pectoral fin 16-17. Body depth at level of pelvic fins 2.7-3.5 in SL; scales absent; pelvic-fin frenum and basal membrane complete.
Feeding	Feeds on tissue from its Acropora coral host, and also on plankton.
Biology	A hermaphrodite capable of bi-directional sex change in which adults have the capacity to shift between male and female function.
Remarks	Coral gobies of the genus Gobiodon posses toxic skin secretions that may function to deter predators. The Yellow Coralgoby is the most toxic Gobiodon species found at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. It inhabits the outer branches of coral colonies, and may move between colonies, so is generally more exposed to predators than other species of Gobiodon. The increased risk of predation may explain the greater toxicity of G. okinawae compared with other species in the genus (Schubert et al, 2003)
Similar Species	The Yellow Coralgoby, differs from the similar and sympatric Howson’s Coralgoby, Gobiodon howsoni, in usually having 13 vs 15 branched caudal rays, two vs one enlarged canines on the posterior dentary, the genital papilla falling well short of the anal fin, vs usually reaching the anal-fin origin, and having a uniform bright yellow colour vs 1-2 brown stripes on the body in G. howsoni.
Etymology	The species is named for the type locality: Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
Species Citation	Gobiodon okinawae Sawada, Arai & Abe 1972, Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 19(2): 57, figs 1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 4A, 5A. Type locality: Kayama Island, Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2025
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Yellow Coralgoby, Gobiodon okinawae Sawada, Arai & Abe 1972

References

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