''Chlamydogobius'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

gobies Gobiidae or gobies 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. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and th ...

from Australia. All but one coastal

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

(''C. ranunculus'') are found in inland waters, such as springs, pools, creeks and streams. Most species live in extreme environments; for example, several species of ''Chlamydogobius'' are found in the water that emerges from

geothermal springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

, such as the Dalhousie goby, found in the waters around

Dalhousie Springs Dalhousie Springs, also known as Witjira-Dalhousie Springs, is a group of over 60 natural artesian springs located in Witjira National Park on the western fringe of the Simpson Desert, 180 kilometres northeast of Oodnadatta in northern South Aus ...

. These fish can live in water with a wide range of temperatures, pH,

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal ...

, and

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as we ...

levels; for example they are found in water with a pH between 6.8 and 9.0, and temperatures between . They can tolerate salinity as high as 60 parts per thousand (almost twice that of

sea water Seawater, or salt water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has appro ...

). They have been found in water with extremely low oxygen levels (as low as 0.8 ppm). Their water habitats often exhibit oxygen levels below 5 milligrams of oxygen per litre. To cope with extremely low oxygen levels, they will emerge from the water to "gulp" air (known as aerial respiration). They also will position themselves over beds of

algae Algae ( , ; : alga ) are any of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms. The name is an informal term for a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from ...

to capture the produced oxygen. They will hide in the mud and silt at the bottom of a stream, or in a plant or under a rock to avoid more extreme water temperatures. Sometimes they will emerge from very hot water for brief periods to take advantage of evaporative cooling. They can survive even if there are drought conditions that reduce the size of their habitat. If there is a flood that results in drastically increased water flow, they anchor themselves to rocks with their pelvic fins. ''Chlamydogobius'' fish are able to change their colours to blend in with their environments. Human drilling activities in Australia have often reduced the pressure of the

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials ( gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characteri ...

s that feed the Australian hot springs that ''Chlamydogobius'' rely on, so some species are endangered.

Species

There are currently six recognized species in this

: * ''

Chlamydogobius eremius ''Chlamydogobius'' is a genus of gobies from Australia. All but one coastal species (''C. ranunculus'') are found in inland waters, such as springs, pools, creeks and streams. Most species live in extreme environments; for example, several spe ...

'' ( Zietz, 1896) (Desert goby) * ''

Chlamydogobius gloveri The Dalhousie goby (''Chlamydogobius gloveri'') is a species of goby endemic to Australia where it lives in the Dalhousie Springs. This species can reach a standard length of . It feeds on small molluscs, crustaceans and other odds and ends li ...

'' Larson, 1995 (Dalhousie goby) * ''

Chlamydogobius japalpa ''Chlamydogobius'' is a genus of gobies from Australia. All but one coastal species (''C. ranunculus'') are found in inland waters, such as springs, pools, creeks and streams. Most species live in extreme environments; for example, several spe ...

'' Larson, 1995 (Finke goby) * ''

Chlamydogobius micropterus ''Chlamydogobius micropterus'', the Elizabeth Springs goby, is a species of goby endemic to Elizabeth Springs in the Shire of Diamantina, Queensland, Australia where it occurs in shallow, marshy pools. This species can reach a length of SL ...

'' Larson, 1995 ( Elizabeth springs goby) * ''

Chlamydogobius ranunculus ''Chlamydogobius'' is a genus of gobies from Australia. All but one coastal species (''C. ranunculus'') are found in inland waters, such as springs, pools, creeks and streams. Most species live in extreme environments; for example, several spe ...

'' Larson, 1995 (Tadpole goby) * ''

Chlamydogobius squamigenus ''Chlamydogobius squamigenus'', the Edgbaston goby, is a critically endangered species of goby endemic to the Edgbaston Reserve in Central Queensland, Australia where it occurs in small pools with clay bottoms and emergent tussock grasses. T ...

'' Larson, 1995 (Edgbaston goby)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q309992 Fish of Australia Gobionellinae