Photo 61914297, (c) David Spencer Muirhead, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by David Spencer Muirhead

Attribution © David Spencer Muirhead
some rights reserved
Uploaded by davemmdave davemmdave
Source iNaturalist Australia
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Cryptic Bearded Goby (Barbuligobius boehlkei)

Observer

davemmdave

Date

February 10, 2020 01:01 PM ACDT

Description

Very small demersal fish caught by hand net at the Lady Bay Road Reef Watch site at low tide. Pictured in small plastic container full of seawater, above the juvenile sea cucumber,in first photo (See earlier submission).
2nd and remaining photos in the above sequence only show the pink and white belly and ventral surface of the fish, due it's already moribund state (See below),but I include them as they show that the fish has rather frilly margins around the head and mouth, which would aid cryptism when in its natural habitat,perhaps sandy bottomed tide pools rather than ledges etc for which the pale base color would be less suitable.
I think the fish is either a juvenile goby or less likely a type of Clingfish (?juvenile or adult, unsure if so).
Unfortunately it may have been killed by my accidentally including a tiny jellyfish in the container for the brief time spent photographing each critter. Returned to the water in an almost moribund state despite having been kept cool and in shade.

Sizes