Long-snout Dwarfgoby, Eviota longirostris ornabene, Greenfield & Erdmann 2021

Summary:

A dwarfgoby with two stripes through the eye, the upper yellow and the lower stripe, and yellow mottling along the upper surface of the eye.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2024, Eviota longirostris in Fishes of Australia, accessed 27 Jun 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5748

Long-snout Dwarfgoby, Eviota longirostris ornabene, Greenfield & Erdmann 2021

More Info

Distribution	Known from scattered locations in Australia: Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, and Great Keppel Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the West Pacific: southern part of West Papua and the Aru Islands, Indonesia. Inhabits coastal reefs exposed to significant freshwater influx and sedimentation, and moderate to strong currents. Individuals have been seen on coralline algae and dead coral substrates.
Features	Dorsal fin VI+I,9; Anal fin I,8; Pectoral fin rays 15-17, all unbranched; Caudal fin 11 branched, 17 segmented rays; Lateral-line scales 24; Transverse scale rows 7.
Colour	In life: Background colour of head and body translucent grey. Body with black subcutaneous lateral stripe, stripe beginning over abdomen as a large irregular blotch, narrowing posteriorly and terminating over caudal-fin base, stripe interrupted along dorsal edge by a series of 6 or 7 short and narrow white dashes. Black blotch over abdomen with several distinct iridescent yellow-white spots over dark area. Ventral portion of flank with six evenly-spaced dark spots, starting above origin of anal and continuing onto caudal peduncle, each spot loosely connected by faint dark pigment to aforementioned black lateral stripe, and each separated from one another by small yellow-white iridescent spots. On dorsal portion of flank, anterior margins of scales strongly marked with melanophores, dark scale margins coalescing along dorsal midline to loosely form a series of 14 black spots extending from predorsal area to caudal peduncle. A bold black spot at caudal-fin base consisting of two parts, a posterior narrow line centred over posterior end of hypural plate, the anterior half a roundish spot that looks triangular in shape with one point against the line when preserved. Yellow spots dorsal and ventral dark marking on the caudal peduncle, positioned above and below the posterior end of the triangular blotch and the vertical line. Reddish colour of gill filaments shows through cheek from eye to pectoral-fin base. Pectoral-fin base crossed posterioventrally by a white line extending onto rays, connecting to white spot above base. A narrow red line below eye at 6 o’clock position extending down across end of jaws; this colour feature is usually prominent but can also be muted quickly. Snout bright white, top of head white, peppered with melanophores, a reddish horseshoe-shaped mark behind each eye with the opening towards the eye. Jaws, underside of head and belly translucent grey. Two red stripes at front of eye, one at 9 o’clock position the other at 10 o’clock, running forward to meet at anterior tubular naris to form a V. Eye with black pupil surrounded by a narrow gold ring, iris pinkish and crossed by reddish horizontal stripe at centre of pupil, a similar stripe on iris below pupil. Upper half of iris reddish with irregular pink marks. All fin rays and spines with a reddish tinge, a distinct reddish area at caudal-fin base.
Etymology	The specific name is from the Latin longus (= long) and rostrum (= snout), in reference to the relatively long snout of this species compared with others in the Eviota zebrina complex.
Species Citation	Eviota longirostris Tornabene, Greenfield & Erdmann 2021, ZooKeys 1057: 157, Figs. 1B, 6-7, 16E, 17C. Typ elocality: Sariga, Kokas, Fakfak, West Papua, 02°36.367'S, 132°24.746'E, depth 5 m.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2024
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Long-snout Dwarfgoby, Eviota longirostris ornabene, Greenfield & Erdmann 2021

References

Greenfield, D.W., Tornabene, L., Erdmann, M.V. & Pada, D.N. 2019. Eviota gunawanae, a new microendemic dwarfgoby from the Fakfak Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 32: 57-67. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2616753 (as Eviota zebrina)

Tornabene, L., Greenfield, D.W. & Erdmann, M.V. 2021. A review of the Eviota zebrina complex, with descriptions of four new species (Teleostei, Gobiidae). ZooKeys 1057: 149-184. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1057.66675