Black-lined Sleeper Goby, Valenciennea helsdingenii (Bleeker, 1858)

Scientific name: Valenciennea helsdingenii
Black-lined Sleeper Goby Click to enlarge image
A Black-lined Sleeper Goby at a depth of 20 m, Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, December 2000. Image: Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Valenciennea
    Species
    helsdingenii
    Family
    Gobiidae
    Order
    Perciformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    The species grows to 18 cm in length.

Introduction

The Black-lined Sleeper Goby has 2 distinct longitudinal stripes along the side of it's head and body.The adults are found in shallow areas of large coastal bays and on deep slopes. While juveniles are usually close to rocks in clear estuaries.

Identification

The Black-lined Sleeper Goby is white with two black to orange stripes on the head and body. There is a white-edged black spot on the first dorsal fin.

The caudal fin of juveniles is rounded. Adults have a pair of elongate caudal fin filaments.

Habitat

Adults are found in shallow areas of large coastal bays and on deep slopes. Juveniles are found close to rocks in clear estuaries.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical and some temperate waters of the Indo-West Pacific.

In Australia it is known from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland to southern 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. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  2. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  3. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.