- Classification
- ACTINOPTERYGII
- PERCIFORMES
- GOBIIDAE
- Pseudogobius
- melanosticta
Black-spotted Snubnose Goby, Pseudogobius melanosticta (Day 1876)
A Black-spotted Snubnose Goby, Pseudogobius melanosticta, from north Queensland. Source: Michael Hammer / Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. License: All rights reserved
Summary:
A relatively large Pseudogobius with brown scale margins giving diffuse network appearance, a distinctive broad dark brown to black oblique bar from the lower rear edge of the eye to above the lower margin of the preopercle, and a pointed first dorsal fin with two broad blackish stripes.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Pseudogobius melanosticta in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5494
Black-spotted Snubnose Goby, Pseudogobius melanosticta (Day 1876)
More Info
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Distribution |
North of Cairns, Queensland. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the tropical, Indo-west Pacific: India to Vanuatu and New Caledonia, north to Japan. Occurs in estuaries and freshwater habitats, including muddy areas around mangroves. |
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Features |
A large species with the second dorsal rays I,6–8; Anal fin I,7–8; Pectoral fin 14–16; Caudal fin segmented rays 15–16; lateral scales 23–26; TRB 8–10; predorsal scales 6–8; predorsal scales ctenoid at sides and/or posteriorly; opercle with 2–4 rows of ctenoid scales, rarely with cycloid scales (if so then predorsal scales ctenoid); cheek naked; shoulder girdle smooth or with narrow flange, which may be angled outward (several specimens with 1–3 small flat knobs or flanges); tongue short, tip blunt to slightly concave; upper jaw teeth in 2–6 rows, in males, teeth in outer row always largest, slightly curved, conical to slightly flattened, outer row of upper jaw teeth in females variable, may be similar to males with two rows of upright slightly flattened teeth, or row of short compressed blunt to pointed teeth. |
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Etymology |
The specific name melanosticta is from the Greek melanos (= black) and stiktos (= spotted). |
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Species Citation |
Gobius melanosticta Day 1876, Fishes of India Part 2: 290, pl. 63 (fig. 2). Type locality: backwaters of Madras, India. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2022 |
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Resources |
Black-spotted Snubnose Goby, Pseudogobius melanosticta (Day 1876)
References
Day, F. 1876. The Fishes of India; being a natural history of the fishes known to inhabit the sea and fresh water of India, Burma and Ceylon. London : B. Quaritch Part 2 169-368 pp. See ref at BHL
Hammer, M.P., Adams, M., Unmack, P.J., Hassell, K.L. & Bertozzi, T. 2021. Surprising Pseudogobius: Molecular systematics of benthic gobies reveals new insights into estuarine biodiversity (Teleostei: Gobiiformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 60: 107140, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107140
Larson, H.K. & Hammer, M.P. 2021. A revision of the gobiid fish genus Pseudogobius (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Tridentigerinae), with description of seven new species from Australia and South-east Asia. Zootaxa 4961(1): 1-85
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 https://doi.org/10.18195/issn.0313-122x.62.2001.001-233
