Network Reefgoby, Priolepis inhaca (Smith 1949)
Other Names: Brick Goby, Brick Reef Goby

A Network Reefgoby, Priolepis inhaca, at Flores, Indonesia. Source: Rudie H. Kuiter / Aquatic Photographics. License: All rights reserved
Summary:
A small pinkish-grey goby with dark brown scale edges forming a network pattern, three pale vertical lines below the eye and one on the gill cover, and interconnected pale lines on top of the head.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2021, Priolepis inhaca in Fishes of Australia, accessed 24 Mar 2023, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/146
Network Reefgoby, Priolepis inhaca (Smith 1949)
More Info
Distribution |
Rowley Shoals, Western Australia, and the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, to northern New South Wales; also Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical Indo-west-central Pacific. |
Features |
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-10; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 8. absence of pelvic frenum; longitudinal scale series 26-28; predorsal scales 12-17; ctenoid body scales; cycloid scales on pectoral fin base, breast and midlaterally on abdomen; opercle of adult with cycloid scales; predorsal scales absent; posterior edge of tubular posterior nostril adherent to edge of orbit; cheek with single vertical row of papillae; depth of body 4.0 in SL |
Biology |
Species of the genus Priolepis form monogamous pairs, and are capable of bidirectional sex change. In laboratory experiments with female-female pairs, the larger individual changed sex to male, and in male-male pairs, the smaller changed to female. The gonads of these species simultaneously formed ovarian and testicular portions with an accessory gonadal structure (Manabe et al. 2013). |
Etymology |
The species is named inhaca for the type locality, Inhaca Island, Mozambique. |
Species Citation |
Gobius inhaca Smith 1949, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 12 2(7): 103. Type locality: Inhaca, Delagoa Bay, Mozambique. |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2021 |
Resources |
Network Reefgoby, Priolepis inhaca (Smith 1949)
References
Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.
Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21.
Hoese, D.F. 1986. Family No. 240: Gobiidae. pp. 774-807 figs in Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds) Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls.
Myers, R.F. 1989. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Guam : Coral Graphics 298 pp.
Manabe H, Toyoda K., Nagamoto K., Dewa S.I., Sakurai M., Hagiwara K., Shinomiya A. & Sunobe T. 2013. Bidirectional sex change in seven species of Priolepis (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae). Bulletin of Marine Science 89(2): 635-642. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2012.1050
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.
Russell, B.C. 1983. Annotated checklist of the coral reef fishes in the Capricorn-Bunker group, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Special Publication Series 1: 1-184 figs 1-2
Smith, J.L.B. 1949. Forty-two fishes new to South Africa, with notes on others. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 12 2(7): 97-111
Smith, J.L.B. 1959. Gobioid fishes of the families Gobiidae, Periophthalmidae, Trypauchenidae, Taenioididae and Kraemeriidae of the western Indian Ocean. Ichthyological Bulletin, Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 13: 185-225 figs 1-42 pls 9-13 (as Quisquilius inhaca)
Winterbottom, R. & Burridge, M. 1993. Revision of the Indo-Pacific Priolepis species possessing a reduced transverse pattern of cheek papillae, and predorsal scales (Teleostei; Gobiidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology 71: 2056-2076 figs 1-23