Sicyopterus lagocephalus (Pallas, 1770)
Red-tailed goby
photo by Lord, C.

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Sicydiinae
Max. size:  13 cm TL (male/unsexed); 10.65 cm SL (female)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 5 m, amphidromous
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: Comoros Islands (East Africa) to Australs Island (French Polynesia) (Ref. 77107). In the Indian Ocean, from Comoros to Mascarene Is. and in the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to French Polynesia, New-Caledonia and Vanuatu (Ref. 87781).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-10; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 10-10. Usually 11 unsegmented rays in second dorsal fin. Pectoral rays usually 19. Predorsal midline usually with 13-16 cycloid scales, anterior scales smaller than those posteriorly. Scales on flanks same size as those on caudal peduncle. Belly always with fairly large cycloid scales, about the same size as those on the caudal peduncle. Caudal fin with blackish or dusky horseshoe-shaped band close to margin, medial rays blackish or dusky (Ref. 37578).
Biology:  Adults inhabit fast-flowing sections of clear rainforest streams over rocky bottoms (Ref. 44894). Hatching and larval stage occur at sea, postlarval stage to adult in freshwater (Ref. 4343, 79840). Commercial in Reunion, where they are caught during the few days when they return from sea to enter the rivers (Doug Fenner, pers. comm., 2002, Ref. 79840). Smallest gravid female reported 5.03 cm SL (Ref. 37578).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 12 August 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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