Decorated Glidergoby, Valenciennea decora Hoese & Larson, 1994
Decora Goby, Decorated Glider Goby, Orange-banded Sleeper
Click to enlarge image
© Ian Shaw
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Valenciennea
- Species
- decora
- Family
- Gobiidae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- The species grows to about 12 cm in length.
Introduction
The Decorated Glidergoby is a beautifully coloured fish. The species name decoracomes from the Latin word 'decorus' meaning adorned or elegant.
Identification
The Decorated Glidergoby has a yellow stripe on the lower side of the body and either one or four to five bars crossing the sides. There are two or three blue stripes on the head. The top of the head and snout have blue spots. The first dorsal fin has a black blotch. The species name decora comes from the Latin word 'decorus' meaning adorned or elegant.
Distribution
It occurs in tropical marine waters of New Caledonia, Fiji and Australia. In Australia it is known from the southern Great Barrier Reef and northern New South Wales.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
References
Hoese, D.F & Larson, H.K. 1994. Revision of the Indo-Pacific Gobiid Fish Genus Valenciennea, with Descriptions of Seven New Species. Indo-Pacific Fishes. 23: 1-71.
