Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gobiiformes (Gobies) >
Gobiidae (Gobies) > Gobiinae
Etymology: Gobiodon: Latin, gobius = gudgeon + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335); howsoni: Named for Craig Howson, who provided the first author with numerous collecting and diving opportunities in the Australia-New Guinea region, resulting in the discovery of several new species (Ref. 125638).
Eponymy: Craig Howson is a long-time friend of the authors and the founding (1987) Director of North Star cruises and owner of the ‘luxurious’ Australian cruise ship ‘True North’. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 12 m (Ref. 125637). Tropical
Eastern Indian Ocean: Western Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 2.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 125637)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 26. This species is distinguished by the following characters: colouration pattern: semitranslucent greyish with a bifurcate white stripe straddling the spinal column, back with a narrow brown stripe extending from the side of the nape to the caudal peduncle, and a wider brown stripe on the ventral part of the body extending from the pectoral-fin axil to the caudal peduncle; some smaller individuals (less than about 2.0 cm SL) have a strong yellow tint on the head and body, and lack the dorsal-most brown stripe on the side; differs from most of its congeners in having a relatively low number of pectoral-fin rays 15-17, usually 16; D VI+I,10; A I,9 (rarely I,8); branched caudal-fin rays usually 15 (sometimes 14, especially specimens < 16 mm SL), anterior dentary has a single enlarged canine posterior to the main band of smaller teeth, and the aperture of the genital papilla reaching or nearly reaching anal-fin origin when adpressed (Ref. 125637).
Facultative air-breathing in the genus (Ref. 126274); Occurs in lagoon coral reefs, sheltering among dense branches of Acropora corals, especially A. longicyanthus (Ref. 125638).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Allen, G.R., 2021. Gobiodon howsoni, a new species of coral reef fish (Gobiidae: Teleostei) from Rowley Shoals, Western Australia. aqua, Intl. J. Ichthyol. 27(1):11-20. (Ref. 125637)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00724 (0.00339 - 0.01546), b=3.10 (2.92 - 3.28), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
![Image of Gobiodon howsoni (Howson\](/images/thumbnails/gif/tn_GOBIIDT0.gif "Image of Gobiodon howsoni (Howson\")
