Lady Elliot Shrimpgoby, Tomiyamichthys elliotensis Allen, Erdmann & Dudgeon 2023

A Lady Elliot Shrimpgoby, Tomiyamichthys elliotensis, at Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Source: Mark V. Erdmann, Fig. 2, in Allen et al. (2023) Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 40. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:

A whitish shrimpgoby with four large ovate brown spots along the midside, 5 or 6 diagonal yellow-orange bands (or rows of large spots) on the first dorsal fin, a prominent narrow dark stripe along the middle and a yellow outer margin on the second dorsal fin, several yellow-orange stripes along the anal fin, and bluish pelvic fins with yellow fin rays. A dark band originates on the lower edge of the eye, and the species has a sail-like first dorsal fin without filamentous extensions.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2023, Tomiyamichthys elliotensis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 15 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5726

Lady Elliot Shrimpgoby, Tomiyamichthys elliotensis Allen, Erdmann & Dudgeon 2023

More Info

Distribution	Lady Elliot Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Inhabits relatively flat, sandy areas exposed to periodic strong tidal currents in depths of 15–24 m. Individuals or pairs share burrows with alpheid shrimps.
Features	Dorsal fin VI-I,10; Anal fin I,10, all segmented dorsal-fin and anal-fin rays branched, last to base; Pectoral fin 17-18, all branched; Pelvic fin I,5, all segmented rays branched with 2 or 3 branch points, the fifth rays joined medially with membrane; Caudal fin, segmented rays 17 (14 branched), plus 4-5 upper and lower rays unsegmented; Gill rakers 2+4–6, poorly developed; Lateral scale series 78–84; Transverse scale rows 18–24; Circumpeduncular scales 20–27; Vertebrae 26. Predorsal scales absent; males with no prepelvic scales and females with several embedded prepelvic scales.
Similar Species	Among other characters, the Lady Elliot Shrimpgoby differs from the similar Monster Shrimpgoby, *Tomiyamichthys oni, in having a whitish body with minimal freckling or spotting and large ovate markings along the sides, vs. profuse freckling and spotting and round lateral markings in T. oni*.
Etymology	Named for the type locality, Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Species Citation	Tomiyamichthys elliotensis Allen, Erdmann & Dudgeon 2023, Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 40: 59, Figs. 1-5 left, 6A, 7. Type locality: Lighthouse Bommie, Lady Elliot Island, Queensland, Australia, -24.1156°, 152.708°, depth 19 m.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2023
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Lady Elliot Shrimpgoby, Tomiyamichthys elliotensis Allen, Erdmann & Dudgeon 2023

References

Allen, G.R., Erdmann, M.V. & Dudgeon, C.L. 2023. Tomiyamichthys elliotensis, a new species of shrimpgoby (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Lady Elliot Island, Queensland, Australia. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 40; 57-69. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8404548