Sand goby may refer to several species of fishes of Gobioidei:
In biology, a species ( ) is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. While these definitions may seem adequate, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example, the boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation, in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies, and in a ring species. Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually, the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies.
True gobies were a subfamily, the Gobiinae, of the goby family Gobiidae, although the 5th edition of the Fishes of the World does not subdivide the Gobiidae into subfamilies. They are found in all oceans and a few rivers and lakes, but most live in warm waters. Altogether, the Gobiinae unite about 1149 described species in 160 genera, and new ones are still being discovered in numbers.
Favonigobius is a genus of gobies native to fresh, brackish and marine waters around the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Commonly called "sand gobies", this term more alternatively refers to the family Kraemeriidae, a relative of the true gobies.
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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 ,maximum known standard length are 11 mm. 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.
Dartfishes are a group of fish, formerly considered to be a subfamily, Ptereleotrinae, of goby-like fishes in the family Microdesmidae of the order Gobiiformes, Authorities now consider the species in the family Microdesmidae are within the Gobiidae, although the researchers do not define the taxonomic status of this grouping within that family. They are saltwater fish.
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.
Stiphodon is a genus of freshwater gobies. They inhabit swift, clear streams close to the sea and are found in large parts of Asia and Oceania. Many of the 36 currently recognized species have extremely restricted distributions on single islands or even single streams. These are small gobies with bodies squarish in cross section. A female of S. multisquamus with a standard length of 60.4mm is the largest Stiphodon individual on record.
Valenciennea is a genus of small, bottom-dwelling fish in the family Gobiidae. They are found over sandy bottoms, often at coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific. The members of the genus tend to rest directly on the substrate for extended periods of time. While this is a common behavior for members of the family, this genus also float motionless directly above the substrate, which is why they are sometimes called glider gobies. Their resting behavior has resulted in the vernacular name "sleeper gobies", which invites confusion with the related family Eleotridae. The members of this genus are known to be carnivorous sand-sifters; to eat, they simply engulf entire mouthfuls of sand which they expel through their gills. Specialized structures in their gills filter small crustaceans and worms as the sand is expelled. It is this specific trait that makes some members of the genus attractive to the marine aquarist, and they are often introduced into a marine aquarium for sand-sifting. Some of the species are known to be monogamous. The genus was named after notable French zoologist Achille Valenciennes. These fish are difficult to keep in a tank. Tanks with plenty of live sand and live rock are recommended. Offer foods such as sinking shrimp pellets. Fish may die even if eating properly.
Gobius is a genus of fish in the family Gobiidae native to fresh, brackish and marine waters of and around Europe, Africa and Asia. It contains the typical gobies, being the type genus of the formerly recognised subfamily Gobiinae and family and the namesake genus of its order Gobiiformes.
Mugilogobius is a genus of fish in the family Gobiidae. They are found in fresh, brackish and marine water of the Indo-Pacific region. Several of the freshwater species have highly restricted distributions.
Oligolepis is a genus of fish in the goby family Gobiidae, native to marine, fresh and brackish waters of the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
The Gobiiformes are an order of fish that includes the gobies. The order, which was previously considered a suborder of Perciformes, is made up of 2,211 species that are divided into seven different families. Phylogenetic relationships of the Gobiiformes have been elucidated using molecular data. Gobiiforms are generally small fish and are mostly marine (saltwater) fishes, but roughly 10% of the population inhabit fresh waters. This order is made up of mainly benthic or sand-burrowing fish. Benthic fish live on the bottom of a body of water. Like in most benthic organisms, gobiiforms do not have a gas bladder or swim bladder which keeps them from suspending in the water column, so they must stay on the bottom.
The Benthophilinae are a subfamily of gobies endemic to the Ponto-Caspian region. The subfamily includes about 50 species. The representatives of the subfamily have fused pelvic fins and elongated dorsal and anal fins. They are distinguished from the closely related subfamily Gobiinae by the absence of a swimbladder in adults and location of the uppermost rays of the pectoral fins within the fin membrane.
Gobius ateriformis is a species of marine fish from the family Gobiidae, the true gobies. It is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs in tide pools to a depth of 11 metres (36 ft). The species was first described by Alberto Brito and Peter J. Miller in 2001.
Pseudogobiopsis is a genus of fish in the goby family, Gobiidae. They are native to fresh and brackish waters of southern and southeastern Asia. The genus is mainly distinguished by the number and arrangement of fin rays and spines, headpores, and sensory papillae, the large mouths of the males, a fleshy or bony flange on the pectoral girdle, and the shape of the genital papilla.
The Sicydiinae are a small subfamily of freshwater gobies, with only nine genera. They are usually found in fast-moving mountain streams in tropical islands. They are characterized by highly developed rounded suction discs and an amphidromous lifecycle. Adult lengths range from 2 to 15 cm. Some species are popular in the aquarium trade. The genera included under Sicydiinae are:
Caecogobius cryptophthalmus is a species of goby that is endemic to underground habitats in Calbiga on the Philippine island of Samar. This species is one of two members of the genus Caecogobius, which are the only known cavefish in the Philippines. Like other cavefish, C. cryptophthalmus has reduced eyes and pigmentation.
Eugnathogobius illotus is a species of goby native to marine, brackish and fresh waters of Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines.
Egglestonichthys is a genus of gobies native to brackish and marine waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Eugnathogobius is a genus of gobies native to fresh, brackish and marine waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean region.
Trimma caudomaculatum, the blotch-tailed pygmygoby , is a species of goby from the Western Pacific. Like other members of the genus, they are usually found in large schools in the sloping or vertical drop-offs at coral reef edges.Similar to other species of Trimma this species consists of multiple cases of bidirectional sex change, meaning that if a group is lacking in a specific sex a partial amount of the group can change their undeveloped gonad structure of the opposite sex in order to accommodate. This sex change is made possible due to the females having a developed set of ovaries with female hormones that are developed, and a set of testis and male hormones that are underdeveloped; The males follow a similar set up in vice versa, so their testis and male hormones are developed, while the ovaries and female hormones are underdeveloped.
Goby is a common name for many species of small to medium sized ray-finned fish, normally with large heads and tapered bodies, which are found in marine, brackish and freshwater environments. Traditionally most of the species called gobies have been classified in the order Perciformes as the suborder Gobioidei but in the 5th Edition of Fishes of the World this suborder is elevated to an order Gobiiformes within the clade Percomorpha. Not all the species in the Gobiiformes are referred to as gobies and the "true gobies" are placed in the family Gobiidae, while other species referred to as gobies have been placed in the Oxudercidae.. Goby is also used to describe some species which are not classified within the order Gobiiformes, such as the engineer goby or convict blenny Pholidichthys leucotaenia. The word goby derives from the Latin gobius meaning "gudgeon", and some species of goby, especially the sleeper gobies in the family Eleotridae and some of the dartfishes are called "gudgeons", especially in Australia.