ANIMAL SPECIES:Red Eel Goby, Caragobius rubristriatus (Saville-Kent, 1889)
The Red Eel Goby is a slender, elongate fish that is bright pink in life. It is usually found in muddy areas, often estuaries.
Identification
The Red Eel Goby is a very elongate species with long based dorsal and anal fins. It has a large oblique mouth and rudimentary eyes.
The live colouration of this species is vivid pink. Saville-Kent’s (1889) original description of the species stated that the fish was rosy pink in life with a carmine longitudinal stripe and smaller carmine streaks branching from the longitudinal stripe that delineated the outlines of the myotomes. Its fins were yellowish.
Fish in the genus Caragobius can be separated from other gobies by several osteological characters. Other useful features that can be used to distinguish Caragobius are the rounded pectoral and pelvic fins, the dorsoventral symmetry, rudimentary eyes, slightly depressed head, and lack of opercular pouches and fang-like teeth.
Size range
The Red Eel Goby grows to at least 10 cm in length.Similar Species
There are two species in the genus Caragobius. The second is C. urolepis, which is not known from Australian waters. It occurs in India, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan and Fiji.Distribution
The species is endemic to Australia, occurring from north-western Western Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland.
Distribution by collection data
Biomaps map of Red Eel Goby specimens in the Australian Museum collection.
Habitat
It is a bottom-dwelling species that is found in muddy estuarine areas often around mangroves.
Classification
- Species:
- rubristriatus
- Genus:
- Caragobius
- Family:
- Gobiidae
- Order:
- Perciformes
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- Murdy, E.O. & K. Shibukawa. 2003. A revision of the Indo-Pacific fish genus Caragobius (Gobiidae: Amblyopinae). Zootaxa. 301: 1-12.
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A Red Eel Goby accidentally caught on hook and line View full size
Trevor Robb
© Trevor Robb
A female Red Eel Goby from King Creek, Northern Territory View full size
Sandra Raredon
© Sandra Raredon
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3 comments
Mark McGrouther
2.07 PM, 06 July 2009
Hi Lindsay, I just heard back from the expert (thank you Ed!). Your fish is in fact a Comb Goby, Paratrypauchen microcephalus. The species is known from the Indo-west Pacific region.
Mark McGrouther
9.07 AM, 06 July 2009
Hi Lindsay, Thank you for submitting the image. You did well to take a photo. Did you catch the fish and photograph it in an aquarium? I'm not convinced, however, that it is a Red Eel Goby. The tail of your fish is not pointed like that of the REG. I'll ask the expert to have a look at your image and tell me what he thinks. I'll get back to you soon. Thank you again.
Lindsay Smith
9.07 PM, 03 July 2009
Red eel goby in the Abel Point Marina, Airlie Beach, Queensland. Approx midday 3rd July 2009.
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