Regent Carp Gudgeon, Hypseleotris regalis Hoese & Allen 1982

Other Names: Prince Regent Gudgeon

Summary:

A small slender brown gudgeon with a slightly darker head, dark scale margins, and the bases of dorsal and anal fins dusky brown with whitish speckles; males with a black submarginal band and a white outer margin on dorsal and anal fins.

Cite this page as:

Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2022, Hypseleotris regalis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 26 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1167

Regent Carp Gudgeon, Hypseleotris regalis Hoese & Allen 1982

More Info

Distribution	Kimberley region of Western Australia, in two catchments from the Prince Regent River to the Roe River. Inhabits still or flowing water in pools and riffles across a range of depths. The species congregates in small to large groups around aquatic vegetation and woody debris, over rocky or sandy substrates, often hovering midwater or perching on sandstone rocks.
Features	Dorsal fin VI + 1, 9-10; Anal fin I, 10; Caudal fin (segmented rays) 15, (branched rays) 11-13; Pectoral fin 13-14; Pelvic fin I, 5; Transverse scales 8-9; Gill rakers 3-4 + 1+9-10 = 12-15; Vertebrae 25. Body slender, depth 5.0-6.25 in SL, compressed; caudal peduncle long, longer than second dorsal fin base. Snout short, less than eye diameter. Mouth small, oblique, reaching to posterior nostril; teeth small in several rows in both jaws. Tongue tip truncate. Gill opening moderately broad, extending forward to below posterior end of preoperculum. Pectoral base narrow, with rays developed ventrally; a free fold of skin extending to upper attachment of opercular membrane above uppermost ray. Head pores absent. Cheek sensory papillae normally in longitudinal rows, with few vertical rows Body scales large and ctenoid, lateral line absent; Longitudinal series 24-26. Predorsal scales forward to above middle of eye, 14-16 on dorsal midline. scales often cycloid on belly and nape. Cheek with 2 or 3 rows of small embedded cycloid scales. Operculum covered with medium-sized cycloid scales. Two dorsal fins; first dorsal low, with rounded margin, height less than body depth, fourth and fifth spines longest; first dorsal membrane almost reaching base of second dorsal in males, fins widely separated in females; second dorsal similar in height to first dorsal, posterior dorsal and anal fin rays prolonged in males. Caudal short with rounded margin in males, truncate in females. Pectoral rays, except upper 2 or 3 and lower 1 or 2, branched once. Anal rays sometimes with a second branch near tip. Pelvic fins long and pointed, reaching to anus.
Size	Males reaching 2.7-3.6 cm SL, females 2.3-3.0 cm SL.
Colour	Head dark brown, usually darker than body in males; body with 15-20 thin black chevron marks along mid-side; black bar at base pectoral fin extending ventrally to opposite third to seventh pectoral ray; black spot on posterior end of caudal peduncle below mid-side. Basal one-third of dorsal and anal fins dark brown to black, thin white stripe distally, and broader black stripe at margin; extreme distal tips white; second dorsal fin sometimes with white spots.
Biology	Little is known of the reproductive biology of this species, however it is likely to be and oviparous benthic spawner.
Remarks	The full description appeared in Hoese & Allen (1983), after the publication of the initial description in Allen (1982).
Similar Species	Closely related to H. aurea from the Murchison River of Western Australia but differs by the absence of preopercular pores. Differs from H. kimberleyensis and H. ejuncida on the basis of a combination of characters which includes a longitudinal scale count of 24-26; a moderately slender body, the depth at pelvic origin 16-20% of SL; pre-dorsal scales extending to behind eyes; modal gill rakers on outer face of second arch 10; colour pattern consisting of about 15-20 chevron marks on side; and pelvic fin origin positioned under posterior opercular margin.
Etymology	The specific name is from the Latin regalis (= regal, royal), in reference to the name of the type locality area, Prince Regent Reserve.
Species Citation	Hypseleotris regalis Hoese & Allen in Allen 1982, Inland Fishes of Western Australia: 57, pl. 13(5). Type locality: Wyulda Creek, about 2 km above junction with Roe River, West Kimberley, Western Australia, about 15°26'S, 125°37'E.
Author	Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2022
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Regent Carp Gudgeon, Hypseleotris regalis Hoese & Allen 1982

References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls.

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.

Hoese, D.F. & Allen, G.R. in Allen, G.R. 1982. Inland Fishes of Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 86 pp. 6 figs 20 pls.

Hoese, D.F. & Allen, G.R. 1983. A review of the gudgeon genus Hypseleotris (Pisces : Eleotridae) of Western Australia, with descriptions of three new species. Records of the Western Australian Museum 10(3): 243–261 figs 1–6 See ref online

Larson, H.K. 2007. A new species of carp gudgeon, Hypseleotris (Pisces: Gobioidei: Eleotridae), from the Katherine River system, Northern Territory. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 23: 111-117. See ref at BHL

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs.

Moore, G. 2019. Hypseleotris regalis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T10733A129047187. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T10733A129047187.en. Accessed on 05 April 2022.

Morgan, D.L., Allen, G.R., Pusey, B.J. & Burrows, D.W. 2011. A review of the freshwater fishes of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Zootaxa 2816: 1-64 https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2816.1.1

Shelley, J.J. & Le Feuvre, M.C. 2018. Family Eleotridae. pp. 174-203 in Shelley, J.J. Morgan, D.L., Hammer, M.P., Le Feuvre, M.C., Moore, G.I., Gomon, M.F., Allen, M.G. & Saunders, T. (eds). A field guide to the freshwater fishes of the Kimberley. Murdoch, Western Australia : Murdoch University Print Production Team.

Thacker, C.E., Shelley, J.J., McCraney, W.T. et al. 2022. Phylogeny, diversification, and biogeography of a hemiclonal hybrid system of native Australian freshwater fishes (Gobiiformes: Gobioidei: Eleotridae: Hypseleotris). BMC Ecology and Evolution 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-022-01981-3

Thacker, C. & Unmack, P.J. 2005. Phylogeny and biogeography of the eleotrid genus Hypseleotris (Teleostei: Gobioidei: Eleotridae), with redescription of H. cyprinoides. Records of the Australian Museum 57: 1–13. htps://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.57.2005.1436