BATHYGOBIUS COCOSENSIS - (BLEEKER, 1854)
Actinopteri (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Bathygobius (Genus)
Cocos goby, Cocos frill-goby, Common goby, Tidepool goby, Coco-karteldikkop, Sujikumohaze,
Synonymes
Bathygobius fuscus pulcher (Fowler, 1945)
Bathygobius versicolor (Fowler, 1945)
Chlamydes versicolor (Fowler, 1945)
Gobius cocosensis (Bleeker, 1854)
Gobius elmeri (Herre, 1940)
Gobius homocyanus (Vaillant & Sauvage, 1875)
Gobius sandvicensis (Günther, 1880)
Rhinogobius corallinus (Jordan & Seale, 1906)
Rhinogobius ophthalmicus (Weber, 1909)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 8. Characterized by mottled brown overall color, with five alternating irregular whitish and brown blotches or saddles dorsally on body; lower half of side with 5-7 rectangular brown blotches; white spots and blotches on cheek and operculum; upper 4-5 pectoral rays branched to base, tips membrane-free; rounded caudal fin; longitudinal scale series 37-38; predorsal scales 10-12, nearly reaching to above rear margin of preopercle; scales absent on cheek and operculum; ctenoid body scales, becoming cycloid on abdomen, breast and nape; depressed head, width greater than depth; depth of body 5.0 in SL. Max length : 10.0 cm SL. Depth range 0 - 10 m.
Etymology
Bathygobius: Greek, bathys = deep + Latin, gobius = gudgeon.
cocosensis: from the Territory of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands. It' a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka. The territory consists of two atolls and 27 coral islands, of which two, West Island and Home Island, are inhabited with a total population of approximately 600.
Original description: Gobius cocosensis Bleeker, 1854. Type locality: Cocos-Keeling Islands, Indian Ocean.
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Johnston, Marquesas and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef and Rapa Islands; Marianas and Marshall Islands in Micronesia. Reported from New Caledonia.
Biology
Lives among rubble, in sand pockets, or on reef rock and is abundant on silty intertidal reef flats. Benthic. Gut analysis composed of polychaetes, isopods, amphipods, and brachyurans.
Similar species
Fishes in the genera Bathygobius can be easily confused with those of Istigobius. The main difference is the overhanging snout in Istigobius. Bathygobius has larger elongate dark spots on the midside and numerous small white spots (Istigobius has white lines, but no spots). Istigobius tends to have brighter colours, with Bathygobius being black, brown and white.
Cocos goby, Cocos frill-goby, Common goby, Tidepool goby, Coco-karteldikkop, Sujikumohaze,
Synonymes
Bathygobius fuscus pulcher (Fowler, 1945)
Bathygobius versicolor (Fowler, 1945)
Chlamydes versicolor (Fowler, 1945)
Gobius cocosensis (Bleeker, 1854)
Gobius elmeri (Herre, 1940)
Gobius homocyanus (Vaillant & Sauvage, 1875)
Gobius sandvicensis (Günther, 1880)
Rhinogobius corallinus (Jordan & Seale, 1906)
Rhinogobius ophthalmicus (Weber, 1909)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 8. Characterized by mottled brown overall color, with five alternating irregular whitish and brown blotches or saddles dorsally on body; lower half of side with 5-7 rectangular brown blotches; white spots and blotches on cheek and operculum; upper 4-5 pectoral rays branched to base, tips membrane-free; rounded caudal fin; longitudinal scale series 37-38; predorsal scales 10-12, nearly reaching to above rear margin of preopercle; scales absent on cheek and operculum; ctenoid body scales, becoming cycloid on abdomen, breast and nape; depressed head, width greater than depth; depth of body 5.0 in SL. Max length : 10.0 cm SL. Depth range 0 - 10 m.
Etymology
Bathygobius: Greek, bathys = deep + Latin, gobius = gudgeon.
cocosensis: from the Territory of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands. It' a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka. The territory consists of two atolls and 27 coral islands, of which two, West Island and Home Island, are inhabited with a total population of approximately 600.
Original description: Gobius cocosensis Bleeker, 1854. Type locality: Cocos-Keeling Islands, Indian Ocean.
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Johnston, Marquesas and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef and Rapa Islands; Marianas and Marshall Islands in Micronesia. Reported from New Caledonia.
Biology
Lives among rubble, in sand pockets, or on reef rock and is abundant on silty intertidal reef flats. Benthic. Gut analysis composed of polychaetes, isopods, amphipods, and brachyurans.
Similar species
Fishes in the genera Bathygobius can be easily confused with those of Istigobius. The main difference is the overhanging snout in Istigobius. Bathygobius has larger elongate dark spots on the midside and numerous small white spots (Istigobius has white lines, but no spots). Istigobius tends to have brighter colours, with Bathygobius being black, brown and white.