A new species of symbiotic shrimpgoby has been described from one of the southernmost reefs of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Named the Lady Elliot Shrimp Goby, Tomiyamichthys elliotensis is the nineteenth species of Tomiyamichthys and it was found in a habitat consisting of relatively flat, sandy bottoms exposed to periodic strong tidal currents in 15–24 m depths.
The holotype is a female measuring 52.7mm, the male paratypes measuring 32.6-38.6mm, and apart from the size and genital papillae, there are no detectable differences between the sexes. According to DNA sequencing, Tomiyamichthys oni is its closest relative.
The description published in the Journal of The Ocean Science Foundation says that “The new species is currently known only from Lady Elliot Island at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), although it is likely to be present throughout the Capricorn-Bunker Reefs and potentially could be widespread throughout the GBR. Temperatures at this site range from 20–28° C across the year.”
“Most individuals observed appeared to be solitary, while about 20% of burrows encountered had a pair of shrimpgobies guarding the entrance. Interestingly, observations during peak tidal currents revealed that nearly all shrimpgoby burrows were completely covered by shifting sands; only during slack tides would the alpheid shrimp reopen the burrow entrances.”
“Numerous other species of shrimpgoby were commonly observed within 1 or 2 m of burrows of the new species, including Amblyeleotris diagonalis, A. novaecaledoniae, A. ogasawarensis, A. rubrimarginata, A. steinitzi, A. wheeleri, Ctenogobiops mitodes, C. pomastictus, and Stonogobiops xanthorhinica.”
CITATION
Allen, G.R., Erdmann, M.V. & Dudgeon, C.L. (2023) Tomiyamichthys elliotensis, a new species of shrimpgoby (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Lady Elliot Island, Queensland, Australia Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 40, 57-69.
