- Classification
- ACTINOPTERYGII
- PERCIFORMES
- GOBIIDAE
- Ctenogobiops
- pomastictus
Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby, Ctenogobiops pomastictus Lubbock & Polunin 1977
Other Names: Gold-specked Prawn-goby, Gold-speckled Shrimpgoby, Pop-eyed Shrimp-goby, Spotfin Shrimp Goby, Spotted Shrimp Goby, Spotted Shrimpgoby

A Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby, Ctenogobiops pomastictus, at Navy Pier, Exmouth, Western Australia,May 2021. Source: Alex Hoschke / iNaturalist.org. License: CC By Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
A pale greyish shrimpgoby with four rows of brown spots along the side including a midlateral row of larger dashes, pairs of small golden ocellated spots between the large dashes, a large white spot on the pectoral fin, whitish blotches along the back, two rows of brown spots on the cheek, and blue spots and streaks on the head.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2021, Ctenogobiops pomastictus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 30 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1334
Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby, Ctenogobiops pomastictus Lubbock & Polunin 1977
More Info
Distribution |
Ningaloo Reef and offshore reefs of north Western Australia, and Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, to the southern Great Barrier Reef including reefs in the Coral Sea. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, western-central Pacific. Inhabits sandy, silty and rubble areas on seagrass beds, lagoons, sheltered reefs, and reef flats. Pairs usually share a burrow with an alpheid shrimp, especially particularly Alpheus djeddensis and A. ochrostriatus. |
Colour |
Body pale grey; four longitudinal rows of dark brown spots (midlateral row largest) along side; small ocellated yellow to orange spots between each pair of midlateral brown spot or dash; small yellow to brown spots scattered on head and body; basal part of pectoral fin with intense white spot. |
Similar Species |
Differs from the similar Ctenogobiops mitodes in having two rows of brown spots on the cheek (vs. a single row) and in lacking an elongate second dorsal-fin spine. |
Etymology |
The specific name pomastictus is from the Greek poma (= lid) and stictus (= spotted) in reference to the distinctive colour pattern of the operculum. |
Species Citation |
Ctenogobiops pomastictus Lubbock & Polunin, 1977, Rev. Suisse Zool. 84(2): 506, figs 4-7, pl. 1. Type locality: North Point, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, depth 6-9 m. |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2021 |
Resources |
Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby, Ctenogobiops pomastictus Lubbock & Polunin 1977
References
Allen, G.R. 1993. Fishes of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 44: 67-91.
Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.
Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.
Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls.
Hutchins, B. 2004. Fishes of the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 66: 343–398.
Kuiter, R.H. 1992. Tropical Reef-Fishes of the Western Pacific, Indonesia and Adjacent Waters. Jakarta : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama 314 pp. pls.
Kuiter R.H. & Tonozuka, T. 2001. Indonesian Reef Fishes. Part 3. Jawfishes - Sunfishes, Opistognathidae - Molidae. Melbourne : Zoonetics pp. 623–893.
Larson, H., Hoese, D., Murdy, E., Pezold, F., Cole, K. & Shibukawa, K. 2021. Ctenogobiops pomastictus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T193056A2189450. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T193056A2189450.en. Downloaded on 16 June 2021.
Lubbock, R. & Polunin, N.V.C. 1977. Notes on the Indo-west Pacific genus Ctenogobiops (Teleostei : Gobiidae) with descriptions of three new species. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 84(2): 505-514 figs 1-10 pls 1-3 https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.91404 See ref at BHL
Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. A comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia. Guam : Coral Graphics vi 330 pp. 192 pls.
Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp.
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.
Randall, J.E., Shao, K.-T. & Chen, J.-P. 2003. A review of the Indo-Pacific gobiid fish genus Ctenogobiops, with descriptions of two new species. Zoological Studies 42(4): 506-515
Syms, C. & Jones, G.P. 2004. Habitat structure, disturbance and the composition of sand-dwelling goby assemblages in a coral reef lagoon. Marine Ecology Progress Series 268: 221-230.