Animal Species:Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby, Ctenogobiops pomastictus (Lubbock & Polunin, 1977)

The Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby has a white body with brown spots. The species shares a burrow with one or more shrimps.

Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby and shrimp

Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby and shrimp
Erik Schlögl © Erik Schlögl

Alternative Name/s

Gold-speckled Shrimpgoby, Pop-eyed Shrimp-goby, Spotted Shrimpgoby

Identification

The Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby has a white body with brown spots. There is a distinctive white spot on the pectoral fin.

Size range

The species grows to 6 cm in length.

Distribution

This fish occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific, from the Ryukyu Islands, throughout Micronesia, south to Australia and east to the Mariana Islands. In Australia, the Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby is known from the north-western coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Ctenogobiops pomastictus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Habitat

The Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby is usually found in silty or sandy subtidal reefs and lagoon areas at depths from 1 m to 20 m.

Other behaviours and adaptations

It shares the burrows of the shrimps Alpheus djeddensis, Alpheus djiboutensis and Alpheus ochrostriatus. When disturbed the fish and shrimps retreat into the burrow. Burrows usually have two or three entrances.

Classification

Species:
pomastictus
Genus:
Ctenogobiops
Family:
Gobiidae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 220.
  2. Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
  3. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  4. Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 222.
  5. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 415.

 


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Ctenogobiops pomastictus, Gobiidae, Goldspeckled Shrimpgoby, white, brown, long and skinny, < 10 cm, dots/spots, soft substrate, marine, adult, marin,