Dalhousie Goby, Chlamydogobius gloveri Larson 1995
Dalhousie Goby, Chlamydogobius gloveri. Source: Michael Hammer. License: all rights reserved
A small desert goby found only in Dalhousie Springs in Central Australia.
Dusky grey above, paler below;
First dorsal fin of males with a pale blue central stripe and a yellowish margin;
Second dorsal and anal fins of males with a bluish-white margin, a brownish submarginal band, and bluish spots near base;
Caudal fin of males with vertical rows pale and darker spots and blotches;
Females overall paler than males with pale blue spots on middle of first dorsal fin.
Dalhousie Goby, Chlamydogobius gloveri Larson 1995
More Info
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Distribution |
Endemic to the Dalhousie Mound Springs complex in the Witjira National Park in remote South Australia. Inhabits shallow water at the edge of warm spring-fed freshwater pools, tolerating temperatures from 21.6°C to 43.9°C. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin V + I, 6-8; Anal fin I, 6-7; Pectoral fin 15-17; Caudal fin (segmented rays) 15-17 (branched rays) 13-16; Pelvic fin I, 5; Vertebrae 10-11 + 16-18 = 27-29; Gill rakers 2-3 +6-7 = 8-10; TRB 11-16. Body cylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. Head short, somewhat rounded to rectangular in cross section, length 3.1-3.69 in SL. Snout rounded to rather flattened. Anterior nostril in very short tube on preorbital just behind upper lip, tube oriented down and forward, preorbital curved forward slightly to accommodate nostril. Posterior nostril small, oval, halfway between front centre margin of eye and preorbital edge. Eyes lateral, high on head, top usually part of dorsal profile, 3.5-4.7 in HL. Interorbital broad, flat; top of head rarely with fine villi. Lips usually smooth, lower lip free at sides, fused across front. Mouth terminal to subterminal, slightly oblique, generally reaching to below front half of eye; teeth of upper jaw in 2-3 rows, outermost larger than others, curved, others slightly smaller; teeth of lower jaw in about 3 rows; tips of teeth sometimes lightly tinted translucent brown; teeth slightly larger in males than females; tongue broad, usually blunt or rounded. Gill opening restricted to pectoral base; inner edge of shoulder girdle smooth with no bony ridge or fleshy knobs or flaps. Body scales mostly cycloid, ctenoid scales in patch behind pectoral fin, and sometimes along mid-line of side from posterior caudal peduncle forward, but not to patch behind pectoral fin; predorsal scales evenly small, usually reaching forward to above preopercular margin or further up to behind eyes; operculum with patch of small cycloid scales on upper three-quarters to half; cheek naked; pectoral fin base covered with cycloid scales. Prepelvic area covered with small cycloid scales. Belly with isolated patch of ctenoid scales under pelvics, rest cycloid. Lateral line absent; lateral scale series 35-42. Head pores absent. predorsal scale count 13-18, circumpeduncular scales 16-19. Two dorsal fins, first low, rounded, spines not reaching second dorsal when depressed; second dorsal and anal fins low, with short bases, last rays not reaching caudal fin. Pectoral fin broad, rounded. Pelvic fins united into complete disc, small, rounded to oval, occasionally reaching half distance to anus. Caudal fin rounded. |
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Size |
To around 4.5 cm SL. |
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Colour |
Bluish grey to greenish grey with fine greyish brown vermiculations and spotting dorsally; paler ventrally, whitish peritoneum visible through body wall; most scales with greyish brown margin or spot, forming line along mid-side of body in some, especially posteriorly. Snout, suborbital, upper half of preopercle and opercle with indistinct greenish brown mottling, lower half of opercle whitish; lips greenish grey, lower lip paler than upper lip in male. First dorsal fin of females mostly translucent with white blotches proximally, and scattered blue spots forming central band, posteriormost blue spot largest; males with first dorsal fin pale golden brown proximally and broad pale blue stripe across middle, stripe narrow anteriorly and widening posteriorly to cover most of rear of fin, upper third of fin dull yellow; second dorsal fin of females translucent brownish with pale gold to whitish spots and streaks alternating with pale brown spots; anterior quarter of fin plain translucent; second dorsal fin of males dull olive brown with broad brownish grey submarginal band, lower half of fin scattered with light blue and golden spots. Anal fin translucent brownish with dull yellowish white or blue marginal band and scattered yellowish white or blue patches or streaks on proximal third of fin. Caudal fin translucent brownish with vertical rows of fine pale brown to dull white spots and small blotches, markings more diffuse ventrally. Pectoral fin translucent, rays dusky. Pelvic fins whitish to translucent brown. |
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Feeding |
Omnivore - feeds mainly on filamentous algae, small crustaceans and insects. |
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Biology |
Oviparous, benthic spawners. Spawning occurs during summer, with females depositing relatively large adhesive eggs in rocky crevices. Males guard the eggs, fanning them almost constantly until hatching. The species does not have a pelagic larval phase. |
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Conservation |
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Etymology |
The species is "Named for the late John Glover, in recognition of the considerable work he carried out on desert gobies and other Australian arid zone fishes. John was convinced that the Dalhousie goby was separate from C. eremius ; he just never quite got around to describing it." |
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Species Citation |
Chlamydogobius gloveri Larson, 1995, The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 12: 28, figs 3–6, pls 1–2. Type locality: Dalhousie Springs, South Australia. |
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Author |
Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2024 |
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Resources |
Dalhousie Goby, Chlamydogobius gloveri Larson 1995
References
Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.
Glover, C.J.M. 1989. Fishes. pp. 89-111 in Zeidler, W. & Ponder, W.F. Natural History of Dalhousie Springs. Adelaide, Australia : South Australian Museum. (as Chlamydogobius sp. nov.)
Hammer, M.P., Adams, M. & Foster, R. 2012. Update to the catalogue of South Australian freshwater fishes (Petromyzontida & Actinopterygii). Zootaxa No. 3593: 59-74. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3593.1.3
Hammer, M.P. & Walker, K.F. 2004. A catalogue of South Australian freshwater fishes, including new records, range extensions and translocations. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 128(2): 85-97
Hammer, M., Whiterod, N., Unmack, P., Mathwin, R. & Gotch, T. 2019. Chlamydogobius gloveri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T4700A129047514. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T4700A129047514.en. Accessed on 20 August 2024
Ivantsoff, W. & Glover, C.J.M. 1974. Craterocephalus dalhousiensis n. sp., a sexually dimorphic freshwater teleost (Atherinidae) from South Australia. The Australian Zoologist 18(2): 88-98 figs 1-3 (as Chalmydogobius eremius)
Larson, H.K. 1995. A review of the Australian endemic gobiid fish genus Chlamydogobius with descriptions of five new species. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 12: 19-51 See ref at BHL
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
Unmack, P.J. 2001. Biogeography of Australian freshwater fishes. Journal of Biogeography 28: 1053-1089
Wager, R. & Unmack, P.J. 2000. Fishes of the Lake Eyre Catchment of Central Australia. Brisbane : Department of Primary Industries and Queensland Fisheries Service 88 pp.
