Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Exyrias (Genus)

Barred high-fin goby, Mud-reef goby, Mud reef goby, Beautiful goby, Obake-inkohaze, オバケインコハゼ, 黑点鹦鰕虎鱼, 黑點鸚鰕虎魚,

Synonymes
Acentrogobius belissimus (Smith, 1959)
Acentrogobius bellisimus (Smith, 1959)
Acentrogobius bellissimus (Smith, 1959)
Exyrias bellissimus (Smith, 1959)
Exyrius belissimus (Smith, 1959)

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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft fin: 1 spine, 11-12 rays; Anal spine: 1; Anal soft rays: 9-10 (usually: 10); Pectoral fins rays: 17-19; Vertebrae: 26; Lateral scale series: 30-34; Transverse rows of scales backwards: 8-9; Predorsal scales: 8-9; Depth of body about: 3.6-3.9 in SL. Body moderately elongate and compressed. Head slightly compressed; Jaws subequal; Gill opening not extending anteriorly to a vertical through posterior margin of preopercle; Tongue rounded. Teeth small and tightly packed in jaws. Usually, spines on first dorsal fin elongated into filaments with the 3rd and 4th typically longest; Pelvic fins united medially; Frenum present. Scales on head and body ctenoid, exclusive of breast with cycloid scales; Snout naked; Scaled area on prepelvic region covering anteroventral part of branchiostegal membrane. Sensory canals and pores present on head; Longitudinal pattern of sensory papillae on cheek, may be with some short transverse rows of sensory papillae irregularly; Uniserial transverse row of sensory papillae just behind chin.  Caudal fin long: >⅓ in SL. Eyes set high on head; Preorbital space relatively wide. Max. length: 13.0 cm TL. Depth range: 1 - 30 m.

Color
Head and body pale brownish to whitish yellow ventrally; Narrow vertical bars (partly internal), 6-8 pairs of dark blotches or irregular bands on sides, and other brownish to whitish rounded spots present overall; Dorsal fins with rows of brown to reddish spots or short stripes, and spine of second dorsal fin with alternating red and white bands; Diffuse dark spot above pectoral fin bases.

Etymology
Exyrias: from Greek prefix, ex- = not or without + from Ancient Greek, xurón = razor or shaved. Referring to fully scaled cheeks.
belissimus: from Latin, belus = beautiful. Referring to its very beautiful coloration in life.
Original description: Acentrogobius belissimus Smith, 1959 - Type locality: Pinda, Mozambique, western Indian Ocean.

Distribution
Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives and Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory), east to Solomon Islands and Samoa, north to Kerama Islands (southern Japan), south to Western Australia, New Caledonia and Tonga.

Biology
A territorial species that inhabits lagoon and seaward reefs. Found over silty bottoms near or under overhanging corals. Feeds by sifting the sediment through its gill rakers.

Last update: 22, October 2024