Pseudogobius aquilonius Larson & Hammer, 2021
Northern snubnose goby

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobionellinae
Max. size:  3.3 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 1 m
Distribution:  Indo-Western Pacific: Australia (northern Australia from from Dampier, Western Australia to Brisbane, east coast Queensland); possibly New Guinea but no samples were found.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 7-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6-8; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 6-7. This moderate-sized species is distinguished by the following characters: D2 I,6-8 (usually I,7); A I,6-7 (usually 7); pectoral rays 14-17 (usually 16); segmented caudal rays 15-16 in 9/7 pattern; lateral scales 24-27; transverse scale count 7-9; predorsal scales 6-8; opercle with at least 2 rows of cycloid scales and rarely with a cycloid scale on cheek, right behind the eye; shoulder girdle is smooth or with a narrow bony flange; tongue is short, may be greatly reduced; in males, teeth in outer row of upper jaw are slightly flattened, blunt-tipped or pointed, with two curved symphyseal canines behind anterior tooth rows; females with outer row teeth of upper jaw small, compressed and blunt-tipped; scale margins edged with brown, about 5-6 small brown elongate blotches along mid-side of the body and posteriormost blotch at hypural crease extending onto caudal fin and coalescing with narrow vertical dark bar on fin base (Ref. 126575),
Biology:  This species occupies shallow-water estuarine, found in tidal rivers, mangrove creeks and muddy tide-pools, at depths of 0–1 m, on sandy mud, mud and mangrove roots, logs and leaf litter. It is found among a variety of mangroves, e.g. Aegialitis, Avicennia, Ceriops, Exoecaria, Rhizophora and often in marginal habitats such as small drainage creeks that runs through exposed salt flats. Associated with other species in its microhabitat or location in northern Australia including a minor overlap with Pseudogobius eos around Brisbane) (Ref. 126575).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.