Elongate Coralgoby, Gobiodon prolixus Winterbottom & Harold, 2005

Scientific name: Gobiodon prolixus
A Coralgoby, Gobiodon prolixus Click to enlarge image
A Coralgoby collected from coral in Yaqara Bay, Viti Levu, Fiji, 2005. Image: Arthur Anker
© Arthur Anker

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Gobiodon
    Species
    prolixus
    Family
    Gobiidae
    Order
    Perciformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    It grows to at least 3.2 cm in length.

Introduction

Gobiodon prolixus is a newly described species of coralgoby. The species occurs in scattered localities throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific on on coral reefs.

Identification

It has five vertical blue lines on the head and pectoral fin base. The body is brown to pale brown. The species name prolixus comes from the Latin word meaning 'stretched out long' and refers to the long body of this species compared with other species of Gobiodon.

a Coral Goby, Gobiodon prolixus

An Elongate Coralgoby caught at South Solitary Island, New South Wales, September 1976. It was photographed in an aquarium.

Image: Rudie Kuiter
© Rudie Kuiter

Habitat

The species occurs on coral reefs.

Distribution

Gobiodon prolixus occurs has been collected from scattered localities throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific. In Australia it is known from northern Queensland and northern New South Wales.

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.

References

  1. Winterbottom, R. & A.S. Harold. 2005. Gobiodon prolixus, a new species of gobiid fish (Teleostei: Perciformes: Gobiidae) from the Indo-west Pacific. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 118(3): 582-589.