''Gobiomorphus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of fishes in the family

Eleotridae 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 t ...

native to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. They are typically small,

benthic The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "the depths". ...

fishes with large, rounded fins and two dorsal fins. Many have an

amphidromous Fish migration is mass relocation by fish from one area or body of water to another. Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousa ...

lifecycle: the eggs are laid in fresh water, but the fry are dispersed to sea soon after hatching, and grow there for several months before returning to fresh water. Articulated fossil skeletons of an indeterminate ''Gobiomorphus'' were previously identified from the

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...

of New Zealand ( St. Bathans fauna of Bannockburn Formation). However, more recent studies have found these to represent a distinct genus, '' Mataichthys'', which was significantly larger than ''Gobiomorphus''. However, small-sized fossil

otoliths An otolith (, ' ear + , ', a stone), also called otoconium, statolith, or statoconium, is a calcium carbonate structure in the saccule or utricle of the inner ear, specifically in the vestibular system of vertebrates. The saccule and utricle, i ...

from the same deposits, if not those of juvenile ''Mataichthys'', could potentially represent those of ''Gobiomorphus''.

Species

The recognized species in this genus are: * ''

Gobiomorphus alpinus The Tarndale bully (''Gobiomorphus alpinus'') is a fish in the family Eleotridae endemic to New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () an ...

'' ( Stokell, 1962) (Tarndale bully) * ''

Gobiomorphus australis ''Gobiomorphus australis'', the striped gudgeon, is a fish in the family Eleotridae 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 regi ...

'' ( Krefft, 1864) (striped gudgeon) * ''

Gobiomorphus basalis Cran's bully (''Gobiomorphus basalis'') is a species of fish in the family Eleotridae endemic to New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island ...

'' (

Gray Grey (more frequent in British English) or gray (more frequent in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a cloud-covered s ...

, 1842) (Cran's bully) * ''

Gobiomorphus breviceps ''Gobiomorphus'' is a genus of fishes in the family Eleotridae native to New Zealand and Australia. They are typically small, Benthic zone, benthic fishes with large, rounded fins and two dorsal fins. Many have an amphidromous lifecycle: the eggs ...

'' (Stokell, 1939) (upland bully) * ''

Gobiomorphus cotidianus The common bully (''Gobiomorphus cotidianus''), or toitoi (Māori), is a fish endemic to New Zealand, and is present throughout the country. There are three other bully species that can be confused with common bullies. There are few characteris ...

'' ( McDowall, 1975) (common bully) * ''

Gobiomorphus coxii ''Gobiomorphus coxii'', or Cox's gudgeon, is a species of sleeper goby in the family Eleotridae which is native to the upland rivers of south eastern Australia. Description ''Gobiomorphus coxii'' is dark brown to greenish-brown in colour on the b ...

'' (Krefft, 1864) (Cox's gudgeon) * ''

Gobiomorphus gobioides The giant bully (''Gobiomorphus gobioides''), tītarakura, or tīpokopoko (Māori), is a species of fish in the family Eleotridae endemic to New Zealand. Description This is the largest species of bully and it can reach more than in length, ...

'' (

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

, 1837) (giant bully) * ''

Gobiomorphus hubbsi The bluegill bully (''Gobiomorphus hubbsi'') is a fish in the family Eleotridae that is endemic to New Zealand. It lives in shallow, fast-flowing riffles and torrents, where it forages and shelters amongst the gravels. It has a similar distribut ...

'' (Stokell, 1959) (bluegill bully) * ''

Gobiomorphus huttoni The redfin bully (''Gobiomorphus huttoni'') is a species of freshwater fish in the family Eleotridae endemic to New Zealand. Being amphidromous, it spends part of its life cycle at sea. Males have distinctive bright red patterns and stripes on t ...

'' ( Ogilby, 1894) (redfin bully)

References

Taxa named by Theodore Gill Freshwater fish genera {{Eleotridae-stub