Drysdale Gudgeon, Hypseleotris notata Hoese & Allen 1987

Summary:

A small brown gudgeon, densely covered in melanophores, especially along scales margins, with 3-5 narrow vertical brown bars anteriorly and 8-10 chevron-shaped brown bars posteriorly along midsides. The species is known from only two specimens collected in the Drysdale River in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
This species was previously known as Kimberleyeleotris notata.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F. 2022, Hypseleotris notata in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1171

Drysdale Gudgeon, Hypseleotris notata Hoese & Allen 1987

More Info

Distribution	Known only from the Drysdale River in the Kimberley Region of north Western Australia. The species inhabits clear, slow-flowing freshwater pools and streams over rocky and sandy substrates.
Features	Dorsal fin VI + I, 9-10; Anal fin I, 9-10; Caudal fin (segmented rays) 15, (branched rays) 11; Pectoral fin 14; Vertebrae 26; Transverse Scales 8; Gill rakers 3 + 1 + 10-11. Body slender and compressed, depth 7-8 in SL; caudal peduncle slender and elongate, slightly less than twice length of second dorsal fin base. Head more or less square in cross section, top of head flat, length 3.3-3.6 in SL; snout rounded in dorsal and side views. Anterior nostril a simple pore above middle of upper lip, posterior nostril simple pore above anterodorsal margin of eye. Eyes lateral, 12.2-13.3 in SL. Mouth oblique, reaching below anterior margin of eye; vomer with few minute conical, pointed, loosely attached teeth. Gill opening broad, extending anteroventral to posterior quarter of eye. Head pores absent. Scales ctenoid, reduced, covering body posteriorly, anteriorly scales tapering toward midline, extending forward to below origin of first dorsal fin; anteriormost scales usually in single line of 1-2 rows, with scales widely spaced and not in contact with other scales; longitudinal series 25-27; no scales on head; naked patch below dorsal fin often extending to below middle of second dorsal fin; scaled immediately above anal-fin base; belly, pectoral base, prepelvic area and head naked. First dorsal fin low with rounded margin, fin ending just before second dorsal fin when depressed; second dorsal well separated from first, elevated, of similar height to first and slightly higher than body depth; first segmented ray unbranched, others branched; anal-fin origin below second dorsal origin; fin slightly lower than second dorsal, but higher than body depth, first segmented ray unbranched, others branched; caudal fin apparently with rounded to truncate posterior margin. Pectoral-fin rays elongate, reaching to or slightly beyond anus, rays branched; ventral fin elongate almost reaching anus, rays branched.
Size	To 3.75 cm SL
Colour	Brown, head and body densely covered with melanophores, most dense along margins of scales; midside with 3-5 thin vertical brown bars anteriorly and 8-10 chevron-shaped brown bars posteriorly; bands separated from mid-dorsal region by approximately length of band; first vertical band broad, below and before first dorsal fin origin; fins dusky; faint vertically elongate grey bar at base of caudal fin, fading ventrally; snout, interorbital and cheeks dark brown. Median fins dark grey to black, without distinct rows of dark spots; dark brown spot on pectoral base dorsally, fading ventrally, upper and lower margins of rays with melanophores; pelvic fins also with melanophores along edges of rays and scattered melanophores on membranes. Melanophores dense around anus, but not as obvious dark ring; melanophores dense on urogenital papilla.
Feeding	Feeds on small aquatic invertebrates.
Biology	Likely to be oviparous benthic spawners depositing adhesive eggs onto hard substrate.
Conservation	IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Critically Endangered.
Etymology	The specific name notata is from the Latin nota (mark, sign), in reference to the pattern of markings on the side of this species.
Species Citation	Kimberleyeleotris notata Hoese & Allen 1987, Mem. Mus. Vict. 48(1): 40, figs 3, 4. Type locality: Drysdale River, at rapids about 4 km above junction with Forest Creek, 14°38'S, 126°58'E, Western Australia.
Author	Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F. 2022
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Drysdale Gudgeon, Hypseleotris notata Hoese & Allen 1987

References

Allen, G.R. 1982. Inland Fishes of Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 86 pp. 6 figs 20 pls [p. 61, pl. 13(7), as New genus and species B]

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

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

Hoese, D.F. & Allen, G.R. 1987. New Australian Fishes. Part 10. A new genus and two new species of freshwater eleotridid fishes (Gobioidei) from the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 48(1): 35-42 figs 1-4

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. (as Kimberleyeleotris notata)

Morgan, D.L. & Moore, G. 2019. Kimberleyeleotris notata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T10994A123377933. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T10994A123377933.en. Accessed on 11 September 2022.

Morgan, D.L., Unmack, P.J., Beatty, S.J., Ebner, B.C., Allen, M.G., Keleher, J.J., Donaldson, J.A. & Murphy, J. 2014. An overview of the 'freshwater fishes' of Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 97: 263-278. (as Kimberleyeleotris notata)

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 University Print Production Team : Murdoch, Western Australia, 262 pp. (as Kimberleyensis notata)

Thacker, C.E., Geiger, D.L. & Unmack, P.J. 2022. Species delineation and systematics of a hemiclonal hybrid complex in Australian freshwaters (Gobiiformes: Gobioidei: Eleotridae: Hypseleotris). Royal Society Open Science 9: 220201. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220201

Unmack, P.J. 2001. Biogeography of Australian freshwater fishes. Journal of Biogeography 28: 1053-1089. (as Kimberleyeleotris notata)