FUSIGOBIUS GRACILIS - (RANDALL, 2001)
Picture courtesy of: Alain Daoulas
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Fusigobius (Genus)
Gobie des sables élancé, Slender sandgoby, Sesuji Sankakuhaze, セスジサンカクハゼ,
Synonyme
Coryphopterus gracilis (Randall, 2001)
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Description
Color
Body translucent with numerous very small orange-yellow spots with blackish centers on head and body, those on head arranged in oblique rows; A black spot the size of pupil or smaller at midbase of caudal fin; A second smaller blackish spot just above base of pectoral fin; Dorsal and caudal fins with orange-yellow spots; A dusky orange line from upper part of first membrane of first dorsal fin to base of second spine.
Etymology
Fusigobius: from Latin, fusus = spindle + from Latin, gobius = gudgeon.
gracilis: named for its being the most slender among its congeners.
Original description: Coryphopterus gracilis Randall, 2001 - Type locality: Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, rotenone, J.E. Randall and T. Yoshino, 12 Sept. 1977.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Ryukyu Islands (Japan), Philippines south to Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and New Caledonia, east to Fiji.
Biology
Inhabits sand-rubble bottoms next to reefs.
Similar species
Fusigobius humeralis (Randall, 2001) - Reported from Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: Maldives east to French Polynesia, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Australia. Fusigobius gracilis differs in lacking a pelvic frenum, in its more elongate body (depth 5.45-5.75 in SL, compared to 4.4-4.8 in SL for Fusigobius humeralis), longer snout (3.0-3.4 in head, compared to 3.4-3.7 in head for Fusigobius humeralis), and in having the posterior nostril well separated from the orbit. Fusigobius humeralis has a round black spot as large or larger than pupil in humeral region just above base of pectoral fin, and a second black spot of about the same size at mid base of caudal fin.
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Fusigobius (Genus)
Gobie des sables élancé, Slender sandgoby, Sesuji Sankakuhaze, セスジサンカクハゼ,
Synonyme
Coryphopterus gracilis (Randall, 2001)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 8; All dorsal and anal soft rays branched, the last to base; Pectoral fin rays: 17-19 (usually: 18), the upper 2 and lowermost unbranched; Pelvic fin rays: I,5; Branched caudal rays: 12; Longitudinal scale series: 25; Transverse scale series: 7; Circumpeducular scales: 12; Gill rakers: 1-2 + 5-6, (usually: 2 + 6); Vertebrae: 10 + 16. Body elongate, depth: 5.45-5.75 (usually: 5.45) in SL, and compressed, width: 1.3-1.5, (usually: 1.35) in depth; Ventral part of head and chest broad and nearly flat; Head triangular when viewed from above, its length: 3.1-3.3, (usually: 3.2) in SL; Snout pointed, its length: 3.0-3.4, (usually: 3.15) in head; Orbit diameter: 3.0-3.35, (usually: 3.2) in head, the eye extending slightly above dorsal profile of head; Interorbital space extremely narrow: 30.5-37.7, (usually: 34.5) in head; Caudal-peduncle depth: 2.85-3.2, (usually: 2.7) in head; Caudal-peduncle long, its length: 1.05-1.15, (usually: 1.1) in head. Mouth moderately large, the maxilla ending below anterior 1/3 of eye. Lower jaw slightly projecting; Mouth slightly oblique, the gape forming an angle of less than 10° to horizontal axis of head and body. Head naked except for scales on side of nape extending forward nearly to eye; No scales on fins except a few on base of caudal fin that are smaller than largest scales on body. Scales ctenoid except those on side of nape, thorax, prepectoral area, and a few just above base of pelvic fins that are cycloid. Max. length: 4.2 cm SL male; 3.0 cm SL female. Depth range: 6 - 18 m.
Color
Body translucent with numerous very small orange-yellow spots with blackish centers on head and body, those on head arranged in oblique rows; A black spot the size of pupil or smaller at midbase of caudal fin; A second smaller blackish spot just above base of pectoral fin; Dorsal and caudal fins with orange-yellow spots; A dusky orange line from upper part of first membrane of first dorsal fin to base of second spine.
Etymology
Fusigobius: from Latin, fusus = spindle + from Latin, gobius = gudgeon.
gracilis: named for its being the most slender among its congeners.
Original description: Coryphopterus gracilis Randall, 2001 - Type locality: Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, rotenone, J.E. Randall and T. Yoshino, 12 Sept. 1977.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Ryukyu Islands (Japan), Philippines south to Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and New Caledonia, east to Fiji.
Biology
Inhabits sand-rubble bottoms next to reefs.
Similar species
Fusigobius humeralis (Randall, 2001) - Reported from Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: Maldives east to French Polynesia, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Australia. Fusigobius gracilis differs in lacking a pelvic frenum, in its more elongate body (depth 5.45-5.75 in SL, compared to 4.4-4.8 in SL for Fusigobius humeralis), longer snout (3.0-3.4 in head, compared to 3.4-3.7 in head for Fusigobius humeralis), and in having the posterior nostril well separated from the orbit. Fusigobius humeralis has a round black spot as large or larger than pupil in humeral region just above base of pectoral fin, and a second black spot of about the same size at mid base of caudal fin.