Gobiodon howsoni is a new species of clown goby just described from the Rowley Shoals of northwestern Australia. The new coral-dwelling goby is as small as other similar species of Gobiodon growing to less than one inch long with the type specimens ranging from only 15 to 27 millimeters long which enables them to live in and among the branches of the dense thing branches of Acropora corals that they call their home.
Clown gobies are relatively common in the reef aquarium hobby but are usually solidly yellow, green, or dark brown to black in coloration but the newly described Gobiodon howsoni is easily differentiated on the basis of its unique live coloration. A pair of light coppery-brown stripes on the sides of the fish neatly flank a light greyish blue stripe tapering from the head to the tail and younger specimens have a light yellow colored head.
It’s been a long while since we had a nice batch of new Gobiodon species brought to our attention with the last descriptions involving four new species from the Red Sea. This new, uniquely patterned clown goby is brought to us by the legendary Gerald Allen in the most recent edition of Aqua but due to its natural distribution range we don’t expect to ever encounter this species within the aquarium hobby any time soon.
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