Southern Longfin Goby, Favonigobius lateralis (Macleay, 1881)

Scientific name: Favonigobius lateralis
Alternative name/s:
Long Finned Goby, Long-finned Goby
Southern Longfin Goby, Favonigobius lateralis Click to enlarge image
A Southern Longfin Goby at a depth of 30 cm in a tide pool, Lady Bay, South Australia, 2 January 2012. Image: David Muirhead
© David Muirhead

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Favonigobius
    Species
    lateralis
    Family
    Gobiidae
    Order
    Perciformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    7.5 cm

Introduction

The Southern Longfin Goby is a small, bottom-dwelling species that lives on shallow, usually sandy substrates in marine waters of southern Australia.

Identification

The species is mottled above with a pale belly. There are two diagonal lines below the eye and a series of dark spots on the side of the body. A dark, elongated blotch is usually present on the operculum.

Distribution

It occurs from Victoria and Tasmania across to Western Australia.

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. Gomon, M.F., Bray, D. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 2008. The Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Reed New Holland. Pp. 928.
  2. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.