Gobiidae is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera, sometimes referred to as the "true gobies". Most of them are relatively small, typically less than 10 cm (3.9 in) in length. The Gobiidae includes some of the smallest vertebrates in the world, such as Trimmatom nanus and Pandaka pygmaea, Trimmatom nanus are under 1 cm long when fully grown, then Pandaka pygmaea standard length are 9mm (0.35 in),maximum known standard length are 11 mm (0.43 in). Some large gobies can reach over 30 cm (0.98 ft) in length, but that is exceptional. Generally, they are benthic, or bottom-dwellers. Although few are important as food for humans, they are of great significance as prey species for commercially important fish such as cod, haddock, sea bass, and flatfish. Several gobiids are also of interest as aquarium fish, such as the dartfish of the genus Ptereleotris. Phylogenetic relationships of gobiids have been studied using molecular data.
Eleotridae is a family of fish commonly known as sleeper gobies, with about 34 genera and 180 species. Most species are found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region, but there are also species in subtropical and temperate regions, warmer parts of the Americas and near the Atlantic coast in Africa. While many eleotrids pass through a planktonic stage in the sea and some spend their entire lives in the sea; as adults, the majority live in freshwater streams and brackish water. One of its genera, Caecieleotris, is troglobitic. They are especially important as predators in the freshwater stream ecosystems on oceanic islands such as New Zealand and Hawaii that otherwise lack the predatory fish families typical of nearby continents, such as catfish. Anatomically, they are similar to the gobies (Gobiidae), though unlike the majority of gobies, they do not have a pelvic sucker.
Gobiodon is a genus of gobies also known as coral gobies or "clown gobies". Generally, coral gobies, unlike the rest of the family Gobiidae, are not burrowers, but instead prefer to inhabit the branches of certain Acropora or similar hard corals.
Eviota is a genus of fish in the family Gobiidae, commonly as dwarfgobies found in the Indo-Pacific region, where it is distributed from Japan to Australia and from Africa to Pitcairn Island. Species are mainly associated with coral reefs. Many of these fish are short-lived, with life cycles as brief as 3.5 weeks in the tropics. Some species are hermaphrodites and some representatives live symbiotically among the tentacles of the mushroom coral.
Priolepis is a genus of fish in the family Gobiidae with a cosmopolitan distribution.
Vanderhorstia is a genus of gobies native to the Indian and Pacific oceans. The name of this genus honours the Dutch biologist Cornelius van der Horst (1889-1951) of the University of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, who was well known for his interest in marine biology.
Gobiodon histrio, the Broad-barred goby, is a species of goby native to the Indian Ocean from the Red Sea to the western Pacific Ocean to southern Japan, Samoa and the Great Barrier Reef. This species is a reef dweller, being found at depths of from 2 to 15 metres. It can reach a length of 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in) TL. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade.
Bryaninops yongei, the wire-coral goby or whip coral goby, is a benthic species of goby widely distributed from the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean to the islands in the center of the Pacific Ocean.
Cabillus is a genus of gobies native to the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Coryogalops is a genus of gobies native to the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Indian Ocean along the coasts of Africa and Asia from South Africa to Pakistan.
Valenciennea helsdingenii is a species of goby from the Indo-Pacific. It is commonly known as the twostripe goby, black-lined sleeper goby, or railway sleeper goby. It can grow up to a length of 25 cm (9.8 in) and is distinguishable by two prominent orange to black lines running longitudinally through its body.
Gnatholepis is a genus of fish in the family Gobiidae, the gobies. It is the only marine genus in the subfamily Gobionellinae, which otherwise includes mostly estuary-dwelling and freshwater fish. Gnatholepis are tropical fish associated with sandy habitat around corals.
Hetereleotris is a genus of gobies native to the western Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
The largetooth goby, also known as Wilbur's goby, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Gobiidae which is native to the Indo-Pacific from the Seychelles to Micronesia. Its known range has been extended to the Red Sea as specimens were photographed at one site and collected at another site off Egypt. This species lives in sheltered marine waters at depths of from 0 to 20 metres preferring areas with sandy substrates. This species grows to a length of 6.5 centimetres (2.6 in) SL. This species is the only known member of its genus. This species is not obviously sexually dimorphic and it has a background colour of pale brown to greenish-brown and a pale ventral side. The body is marked with brown and white spots, pairs of larger brown spots create a mid-lateral row along its flanks and there is a dark spot on the caudal fin peduncle. It has a brown blotch on the cheek and a series of short brown bars along its back. The largetooth goby is a solitary fish which is found in coastal bays, lagoons and estuaries over fine sandy substrates close to the margins of reefs or silt beds in the vicinity of sheltered and often turbid coastal reefs. It is most frequently collected from shallow waters to 7 metres (23 ft), around coral reefs but off southern Japan, the largetooth goby occurs at the bottom of sandy bays. The specific name honours the American physician, Ray Lyman Wilbur (1875–1949) who was president of Stanford University from 1916–1943, as well as being the United States Secretary of the Interior from 1929–1933. Wilbur helped the author, Herre, get to Palau, the type locality of this species.
Bryaninops amplus, known commonly as the large whip goby or white-line seawhip goby, is a species of marine fish in the family Gobiidae.
Bryaninops erythrops, known commonly as the translucent coral goby or Erythrops goby , is a species of marine fish in the family Gobiidae.
Pleurosicya is a genus of gobies native to reef environments of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Sueviota is a genus of fish in the family Gobiidae native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean.
Ptereleotris is a genus of dartfishes found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
