Family Gobiidae - gobies |
FishBase lists 212 genera and 1875 species in this enormously important but often over-looked family. Gobies are ubiquitous - they are found in desert pools in Australia, freshwaters of the Pacific Islands and in all the world's oceans. If we accept the figure of 28,000 fish species then approximately one in every 14 fish species is a goby.
Gobies are fond of associations. Ghostgobies and spongegobies are intimately associated with their hosts - going so far as to abuse this hospitality by laying their eggs on them. A whole suite of gobies share a burrow with prawns. These prawn or shrimp gobies act as sentinels for the shrimp. Their keen eyesight spots potential predators at a distance and the goby responds by backing (or diving) into the burrow. The nearly-blind shrimps normally keep an antenna on their watch goby and immediately take refuge when their pusillanimous lodger heads for shelter.
Gobies are important in Pacific Island streams and several species lay eggs which hatch and drift downstream to the ocean. Depending on species there may be a mass migration of the youngsters back up river a few weeks or months later. These goby populations can reach high densities. Because they are algal grazers they are the primary consumers and have more energy available to them than if they were predators. I wrote a paper about this and other factors entitled "The success of the Gobiidae in tropical Pacific insular streams".
In the Caribbean neon gobies work as fish cleaners. Unlike cleaner wrasse in the Pacific where only one or two individuals are involved it isn't uncommon to see a dozen neon gobies cleaning their patient.
Gobies don't always stay where they should. The round goby, Neogobius melanstomus, arrived in the Great Lakes of North America in 1990, presumably in ballast water of ships traveling from its native Black and Caspian Seas.
|
Amblygobius albimaculatus Butterfly goby |
|
FISH 7376 Amblygobius albimaculatus Butterfly goby Red Sea
|
Amblygobius decussatus Crosshatch goby |
|
FISH 7717 Amblygobius decussatus Crosshatch goby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat - this specimen is paler than typical.
|
Amblygobius phalaena, Brown-barred goby |
|
FISH 8658 Amblygobius phalaena, Brown-barred goby, Mamanucas, Fiji. This is atypical coloration as the bars are not evident. |
|
FISH 8655 Amblygobius phalaena, Brown-barred goby, Mamanucas, Fiji. |
|
FISH 7677 Amblygobius phalaena Banded goby Puerto Galera, Philippines.
|
Amblygobius rainfordi Old Glory |
|
Amblygobius rainfordi Old Glory, Mamanucas, Fiji. |
Amblyeleotris guttatus Spotted shrimp goby |
|
Amblyeleotris guttatus Spotted shrimp goby (Sulawesi) |
|
FISH 7662 Amblyeleotris guttata Spotted shrimpgoby Puerto Galera, Philippines.
|
Amblyeleotris gymnocephala Nakedhead shrimp goby |
|
FISH 0387 Amblyeleotris gymnocephala Nakedhead shrimp goby, Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, Indonesia. |
Amblyeleotris randalli Randall's shrimp goby |
|
Amblyeleotris randalli Randall's shrimp goby (Fiji) |
Amblyeleotris species Shrimp goby |
|
FISH 1565 Amblyeleotris species Unidentified shrimp goby. Raja Ampat, West Papua, New Zealand.
|
|
FISH 3026 Amblyeleotris species Unidentified shrimp goby and shrimp. Raja Ampat, West Papua, New Zealand. |
Amblyeleotris species Freckled shrimp-goby |
|
FISH 9729 Amblyeleotris species Freckled shrimp-goby, Raja Ampat
|
Amblyeleotris steinitzi Steinitz shrimp goby |
|
FISH 3553 Amblyeleotris steinitzi, Steinitz' shrimp goby, Kadavu, Fiji.
|
Awaous guamensis Scribbled Goby |
|
FISH 7509 Awaous guamensis Scribbled Goby, Vitilevu, Fiji
|
|
FISH 7543 Awaous guamensis Scribbled Goby, Vitilevu, Fiji
|
|
FISH 7573 Awaous guamensis Scribbled Goby, Vitilevu, Fiji
|
Bryaninops
dianneae Fiji sponge goby |
|
Bryaninops dianneae goby on sponge
(Fiji endemic) |
Bryaninops tigris Black coral goby |
|
FISH 1525 Bryaninops tigris Black coral goby on black coral tree, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
|
FISH 7429 Bryaninops tigris, Black coral goby, spawning pair, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.
|
Bryaninops yongei Seawhip goby |
|
Bryaninops yongei goby on seawhip (Fiji) |
|
Bryaninops yongei goby on
seawhip 2 (Fiji) |
Coryphopterus alloides Barfin goby |
|
FISH 0815 Coryphopterus alloides Barfin goby, Roatan
|
Coryphopterus aureus Goldenspot goby |
|
FISH 0889 Coryphopterus aureus Goldenspot goby Raja Ampat.
|
|
FISH 7798 Coryphopterus aureus Goldenspot goby Puerto Galera, Philippines.
|
Coryphopterus hyalinus or personatus |
|
Coryphopterus hyalinus or personatus Glover's Reef, Belize
|
|
FISH 0710 Coryphopterus Masked or glass goby, Roatan.
|
Coryphopterus inframaculatus Innerspotted sandgoby or Blotched goby |
|
FISH 8695 Coryphopterus inframaculatus Innerspotted sandgoby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.
|
|
FISH 8077 Coryphopterus inframaculatus Blotched goby Puerto Galera, Philippines.
|
Coryphopterus lipernes Peppermint goby
|
|
FISH 2513 Coryphopterus lipernes Peppermint goby, Glover's Reef, Belize
|
|
FISH 2413 Coryphopterus lipernes Peppermint goby, Glover's Reef, Belize |
Coryphopterus neophytus Neophyte goby |
|
FISH 2551 Coryphopterus neophytus Neophyte goby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat
|
Coryphopterus signipinnis Signalfin goby |
|
FISH 0950 Coryphopterus signipinnis signalfin goby Raja Ampat.
|
Coryphopterus tortugae Patch reef goby |
|
FISH 2613 Coryphopterus tortugae Patch reef goby, Glover's Reef, Belize
|
|
FISH 3454 Coryphopterus tortugae Patch reef goby, Glover's Reef, Belize
|
Coryphopterus urospilus Redlight goby |
|
FISH 5255 Coryphopterus urospilus, redlight goby, Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur
|
Cryptocentrus cinctus Banded shrimp goby |
|
FISH 0426 Cryptocentrus cinctus Banded shrimp goby with commensal shrimp in burrow, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
|
FISH 0436 Cryptocentrus cinctus Banded shrimp goby with commensal shrimp in burrow, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
|
FISH 0409 Cryptocentrus cinctus Banded shrimp goby, yellow morph in burrow, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
Elacatinus punticulatus, Redhead goby gold stripe variant |
|
FISH 5250 Elacatinus punticulatus, Redhead goby gold stripe variant, Sea of Cortez.
|
|
FISH 5950 Elacatinus punticulatus, Redhead goby gold stripe variant, Sea of Cortez. |
Eviota albolineata Redspotted pygmygoby |
|
FISH 7495 Eviota albolineata Redspotted pygmygoby Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.
|
|
FISH 0682 Eviota albolineata Redspotted pygmygoby, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Note Santia species isopods on the sponge substrate.
|
Eviota prasites Red & whitespotted pygmygoby |
|
FISH 7485 Eviota prasites, Red & whitespotted pygmygoby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.
|
Eviota smaragdus Ear-spot pygmy goby |
|
Eviota smaragdus Ear-spot pygmy goby, Fiji |
Exyrias bellisimus Beautiful goby |
|
FISH 1660 Exyrias bellisimus Beautiful goby, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Probably named by someone who was drunk at the time ... photo by Mike Agnew but I hold copyright. |
Gnatholepis anjerensis Eyebar goby |
|
FISH 2387 Gnatholepis anjerensis Eyebar goby, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
Gnatholepis cauerensis Sand goby |
|
Gnatholepis cauerensis sand goby (Sulawesi) |
Gobiodon citrinus?Lemon coral goby
|
|
FISH 4070 Gobiodon citrinus Lemon coral goby? in Acropora coral, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
Gobiosoma illecebrosum Barsnout goby |
|
Gobiosoma illecebrosum Barsnout goby on coral, Cozumel |
|
Gobiosoma illecebrosum Barsnout goby (Cozumel) |
|
FISH 3265 Gobiosoma illecebrosum Barsnout goby, Glover's Reef Belize.
|
Gobiosoma oceanops Neon goby
|
|
|
Gobiosoma oceanops neon gobies cleaning green moray eel Gymnothorax funebris at Glover's Reef, Belize. |
|
Gobiosoma oceanops neon gobies cleaing green moray eel Gymnothorax funebris at Glover's Reef, Belize 2. |
|
Gobiosoma oceanops neon gobies on brain coral, Glover's Reef, Belize |
|
Gobiosoma oceanops neon goby on sponge, Glover's Reef, Belize |
|
Gobiosoma oceanops neon goby on brain coral, Glover's Reef, Belize |
|
Gobiosoma oceanops neon gobies on brain coral, Glover's Reef, Belize 2. |
Istigobius rigilius Orangespotted goby |
|
FISH 9194 Istigobius rigilius Orangespotted goby (ID tentative) Kri Eco Raja Ampat.
|
|
|
FISH 0448 Istigobius species , Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.
|
Luposicya lupus Yellow sponge goby |
|
Luposicya lupus yellow sponge goby pair guarding eggs , Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands
|
Lythrypnus dalli Blue-banded goby |
|
FISH 5239 Lythrypnus dalli Blue-banded goby one of several species of brilliantly colored small bottom-living fishes from the Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur. |
Periophthalmus sp. Mud skipper |
|
Periopththalmus sp. Mudskipper (Fiji) on branch |
|
Periopththalmus sp. Mudskipper (Fiji) head shot |
Pleurosicya boldinghi Soft coral ghost goby |
|
FISH 7107 Pleurosicya boldinghi, Soft coral ghost goby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat
|
|
FISH 7108 Pleurosicya boldinghi, Soft coral ghost goby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat
|
|
FISH 7109 Pleurosicya boldinghi, Soft coral ghost goby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat
|
Pleurosicya elongata Elongate ghostgoby |
|
FISH 7021 Pleurosicya elongata, Elongate ghostgoby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat
|
|
FISH 7021 Pleurosicya elongata, Elongate ghostgoby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat
|
|
Pink Pleurosicya elongata, Elongate ghostgoby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat |
Pleurosicya mossambica Common ghostgoby |
|
FISH 5168 Pleurosicya mossambica Common ghostgoby on seapen Puerto Galera, Philippines.
|
Redigobius
leveri Fijian endemic freshwater goby |
|
FISH 7495 Redigobius leveri, Vitilevu, Fiji.
|
|
Redigobius leveri endemic
Fijian freshwater goby head shot |
|
|
Redigobius leveri |
Redigobius leveri 3/4
shot |
|
Redigobius leveri Fijian freshwater endemic goby side
on |
Sicyopterus lagocephalus |
|
FISH 4796 Female Sicyopterus lagocephalus, Wailoku near Suva, Fiji.
|
|
FISH 4804 Female Sicyopterus lagocephalus, Wailoku near Suva, Fiji.
|
Sicyopus zosterophorum freshwater goby |
|
Sicyopus zosterophorum freshwater
goby head shot. |
|
|
Sicyopus zosterophorum whole
animal |
Sicyopus zosterophorum freshwater goby
head shot 2 |
|
Sicyopus zosterophorum freshwater
goby head on |
|
|
Sicyopus zosterophorum whole
animal 2 |
Sicyopus zosterophorum whole
animal 3 |
|
Signigobius biocellatus Signal goby |
|
FISH 1731 Signigobius biocellatus Signal goby pair, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
|
Signigobius biocellatus Signal goby Marovo Lagoon Solomon
Islands |
Stiphodon rutilaureus |
|
FISH 7491 Stiphodon rutilaureus, male, Vitilevu, Fiji.
|
|
FISH 7522 Stiphodon rutilaureus, Vitilevu, Fiji.
|
|
FISH 7528 Stiphodon rutilaureus, Vitilevu, Fiji.
|
|
FISH 7553 Stiphodon rutilaureus, Vitilevu, Fiji.
|
Trimma benjamini Benjamin's goby |
|
FISH 8665 Trimma benjamini Ringeye dwarfgoby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.
|
|
FISH 7174 Trimma benjamini Ringeye dwarfgoby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat. |
|
Trimma benjamini Benjamin's goby (Fiji) |
Valenciennea decora |
|
Valenciennea decora in
Fiji. Pair by burrow. |
Valenciennea muralis Mural goby |
|
FISH 0442 Valenciennea muralis Mural goby pair hovering by burrow, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
Valenciennea puellaris Orange-dashed goby |
|
FISH 0468 Valenciennea puellaris Orange-dashed goby, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |
|
FISH 7227 Valenciennea puellaris Orange-dashed goby, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.
|
Valenciennea sexguttatus Sixspot goby |
|
FISH 7972 Valenciennea sexguttatus Sixspot goby Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.
|
Valenciennea strigata Bluestreak goby |
|
FISH 0871 Valenciennea strigata Bluestreak goby pair hovering near burrow, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. |