Name: Halfspotted Goby
Local name: Nabbat
Scientific name: Asterropteryxsemi punctata
Classification: Class: ray-finned fishes; Order: perch-likes; Family: gobies (Gobiidae)
Size: It attains a total length of only 5 cm.
Habitat:
This benthic species inhabits algal-coated coral and rocky areas and coral rubble in shallow water down to depths of 15 m, taking refuge in burrows, crevices or holes. It occurs as solitary individuals or in small groups, and feeds on small benthic invertebrates.
Distribution:
The Halfspotted Goby is widely distributed in theIndo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and eastern Africa in the west, to the Hawaiian Islands in the east, north to Japan, and south to Australia.
Conservation status:
It has not yet been assessed globally by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In a regional assessment for the Arabian Gulf it was classified as Least Concern (LC). It is used in the aquarium trade.
Description:
The body is elongate and covered with scales. There is no lateral line, but the head has sensory pores and papillae. In adults, the third dorsal spine is prolonged forming a long filament; the caudal fin is rounded or truncate with rounded corners. Coloration is quite variable, light to dark greenish grey, often with an indistinct blackish stripe from the eye to the base of the caudal fin. There are numerous bright blue dots on the head, lower half of the body and unpaired fins.
