Empire Gudgeon, Hypseleotris compressa (Krefft 1864)


Other Names: Carp Gudgeon, Empire Fish, Northern Carp-gudgeon

A male Empire Gudgeon, Hypseleotris compressa. Source: Dave Wilson. License: All rights reserved

Summary:
Non-breeding males are mostly olive-brown with a white-edged black band on the outer half of the reddish dorsal and anal fins, and pale basal spots on the second dorsal fin. Breeding males develop a hump on the head, and have a bright orangy-red head and lower sides, with a large black spot above the pectoral-fin base.

Video of Empire Gudgeons - males in breeding coloration vying for the attention of females.
Video of Empire Gudgeons spawning in an aquarium.
Video of male Empire Gudgeons

Cite this page as:
Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2022, Hypseleotris compressa in Fishes of Australia, accessed 30 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4145

Empire Gudgeon, Hypseleotris compressa (Krefft 1864)

More Info


Distribution

Widespread, mostly in the northern half of Australia, from the Chapman River, NE of Geraldton, Western Australia, around the tropical north to the Genoa River, eastern Victoria, including islands in the Torres Strait, and Fraser, Moreton, Bribie and Stradbroke islands, Queensland. The species also occurs in West Papua, Indonesia, and southern Papua New Guinea.
Inhabits the lower reaches of slow-flowing coastal rivers and streams, swamps, lagoons, including the upper parts of estuaries. Empire Gudgeons prefer flowing waters, and often shelter around aquatic plants and woody debris. Juveniles frequently occur in swift-flowing waters or estuaries. The species is tolerant of high salinities, water temperatures up to 35ºC and somewhat acidic to alkaline waters with a pH 5.0-9.1.

Features

Dorsal fin VI + I, 9-10; Anal fin I, 9-11; Caudal fin (segmented rays) 15; Pectoral fin 14-17; Pelvic fin I, 5; Transverse scales 9-10; Gill rakers 3-4 + 1 + 9-11 = 13-16; Vertebrae 14-15 + 10-12 = 24-26.
Head and body distinctly compressed, body relatively deep, depth at pelvic fin origin 4.2-5.9 in SL. Adult males with prominent forehead hump from above upper end of opercular margin to snout. Mouth small, very oblique, reaching to about middle of eye; both jaws with small teeth in several rows; tongue tip truncate. Gill opening moderately broad, reaching forward to below posterior end of preoperculum. Head pores absent, except for two pores connected by short tube above dorsoposterior margin of eye and 2-5 preopercular pores. Cheek sensory papillae normally in longitudinal rows, with few vertical rows.
Body scales large and ctenoid, lateral line absent; longitudinal series 25-29; ctenoid scales between first dorsal fin base and upper attachment of opercular membrane; scales often cycloid on belly and nape; predorsal scales forward to above middle of eye, 14-18 on dorsal midline; cheek with 4-6  rows of small embedded cycloid scales’ operculum covered with medium-sized cycloid scales.
Two dorsal fins; males usually with more elongate posterior second dorsal and anal fin rays, a higher first dorsal fin, and dorsal fins closer together. Pelvic fins separate, short. Pectoral base narrow, rays developed ventrally; free fold of skin extending to upper attachment of opercular membrane above uppermost ray.

Size

To around 12 cm SL, males slightly larger than females.

Colour

Sides of body often with about 7-8 brown vertical bars, forming X-shaped marks on midside; base of caudal fin with vertically elongate dark brown spot just below midside; distinct dark mark near posterior end of the second dorsal fin. Dorsal fins with 2 black stripes; second dorsal with round white spots posteriorly, surrounded by black.

Feeding

The species forages amongst detritus, leaf litter and aquatic vegetation, feeding mostly on microcrustaceans, small aquatic insects, insect larvae and algae.

Biology

Individuals mature within one year, at lengths of 5.5-7.5 cm. Males establish breeding territories and display bright colours to attract a mate during the warmer months. Spawning occurs every 2-7 days over several weeks from January to March. Females deposit adhesive eggs (0.26-0.28 mm X 0.30-0.32 mm) onto rocks, sand or weeds where they are guarded and fanned by the male. Larvae hatch at around 1.0 mm TL after 10-14 days and commence swimming at, or soon after hatching. Spawning occurs in freshwater, and the larvae are carried downstream to estuaries where they develop before migrating back to freshwater.

Similar Species

Distinguished from other Western Australian Hypseleotris by a combination of characters including the presence of preopercular pores, predorsal scales extending to above the middle of the eyes, ctenoid scales between the first dorsal-fin base and the upper attachment of opercular membrane, and the second dorsal fin modally 1,9.

Etymology

The specific name is from the Latin compressa (= pressed, squeezed together) in reference the the 'compressed' body of this species.

Species Citation

Eleotris compressus Krefft, 1864, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1864: 184. Type locality: Clarence River, NSW, and creeks near Port Denison (Bowen), Queensland.

Author

Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2022

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Empire Gudgeon, Hypseleotris compressa (Krefft 1864)

References


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

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.

Allen, G.R. & Hoese, D.F. 1980. A collection of fishes from the Jardine River, Cape York Peninsula, Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 63(2): 53-61 figs 1-2

Auty, E.H. 1978. Reproductive behaviour and early development of the empire fish Hypseleotris compressa. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 29: 585-597.

Cashner, R.C., Hawkes, G.P., Gartside, D.F. & Marsh-Matthews, E. 1999. Fishes of the Nymboida, Mann and Orara Rivers of the Clarence River Drainage, New South Wales, Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 121: 89-100

Castelnau, F.L. de 1873. Contribution to the ichthyology of Australia. 5. Notes on fishes from north Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria 2: 83-97 (as Eleotris modesta)

Castelnau, F.L. de 1878. Notes on the fishes of the Norman River. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1 3(1): 41-51 (as Eleotris simplex)

De Vis, C.W. 1884. New fishes in the Queensland Museum. No. 4. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1 9(3): 685-698 (as as Eleotris humilis, and Eleotris cavifrons - a junior homonym of Eleotris cavifrons Blyth, 1860).

Hammer, M., Morgan, D.L. & Brooks, S. 2019. Hypseleotris compressa. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T68001166A129047089. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T68001166A129047089.en. Accessed on 04 August 2022.

Hitchcock, G., Finn, M.A., Burrows, D.W.& Johnson, J.W. 2012. Fishes from fresh and brackish waters of islands in Torres Strait, far north Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 56(1): 14-24.

Hoese, D.F., Larson, H.K. & Llewellyn, L.C. 1980. Family Eleotridae: gudgeons. pp. 169-185 19 figs in McDowall, R.M. (ed.) Freshwater Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Sydney : A.H. & A.W. Reed 208 pp., figs, 32 pls.

Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds) 2013. Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp.

Johnson, J. 1993. Fishes of the Brisbane River. Fishes of Sahul, Journal of the Australian New Guinea Fishes Association 8(1): 347-352

Koehn, J.D. & O'Connor, W.G. 1990. Biological Information for the Management of Native Freshwater Fishes in Victoria. Department of Conservation and Environment, Victoria.

Klunzinger, C.B. 1879. Die v. Müller'sche Sammlung Australischer Fische. Anzeiger der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse, Wien 16(22): 254-261 (as Eleotris reticulatus)

Klunzinger, C.B. 1880. Die von Müller'sche Sammlung australischer Fische in Stuttgart. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften. Wien 80(1): 325–430 pls 1–9 (as Eleotris reticulatus)

Krefft, G. 1864. Notes on Australian freshwater fishes, and descriptions of four new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1864: 182-184

Lake, J.S. 1971. Freshwater Fishes and Rivers of Australia. Melbourne : Nelson 61 pp.

Lake, J.S. 1978. Australian Freshwater Fishes. Melbourne : Thomas Nelson 160 pp. 140 figs.

Larson, H.K. & Martin, K.C. 1990. Freshwater Fishes of the Northern Territory. Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences Handbook Series Number 1. Darwin : Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences 102 pp. 73 figs.

Larson, H.K. & Williams, R.S. 1997. Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated checklist. pp. 339-380 in Hanley, H.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biology Workshop. Darwin : Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 466 pp.

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293

Leggett, R. & Merrick, J.R. 1987. Australian Native Fishes for Aquariums. Artarmon : J.R. Merrick Publications 241 pp. 142 figs.

Macleay, W.J. 1878. The fishes of Port Darwin. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1 2(4): 344-367 pls 7-10 (as Eleotris compressus, junior homonym of Eleotris compressus Krefft, 1864)

Macleay, W.J. 1881. Descriptive catalogue of the fishes of Australia. Part 2. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1 5(4): 510-629 pls 13-14 (as Eleotris elevata, nom. nov. for Eleotris compressus Macleay, 1878).

McGlashan, D.J. & Hughes, J.M. 2001. Low levels of genetic differentiation among populations of the freshwater fish Hypseleotris compressa (Gobiidae: Eleotridinae): implications for its biology, population connectivity and history. Heredity 86: 222-233.

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

Morgan, D.L. 2010. Fishes of the King Edward River in the Kimberley region, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 25: 351–368.

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.

Morgan, D.L. & Gill, H.S. 2004. Fish fauna in inland waters of the Pilbara (Indian Ocean Drainage Division) of Western Australia – evidence for three subprovinces. Zootaxa 636: 1-43.

Ogilby, J.D. 1897. On some Australian Eleotrinae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 21(4): 725-757 (as Carassiops longiCarassiops compressus)

Pusey, B.J., Burrows, D.W., Kennard, M.J., Perna, C.N., Unmack. P.J., Allsop, Q. & Hammer, M.P. 2017. Freshwater fishes of northern Australia. Zootaxa 4253(1): 1-104

Pusey, B.J., Kennard, M.J. & Arthington, A.H. 2004. Freshwater Fishes of North-eastern Australia. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 684 pp.

Steindachner, F. 1867. Ichthyologische Notizen (6).1. Über eine Sammlung von Fischen von Cap York in Australien. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien 56(1): 307-320 (described as Eleotris brevirostris)

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

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37429023

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Fishing:Popular aquarium fish

Habitat:Freshwater streams, estuaries

Max Size:12 cm SL

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CAAB distribution map