Banded Mullet-goby (Hemigobius hoevenii)

Banded Mullet-goby (Hemigobius hoevenii)

A male Banded Mullet-goby foraging in a mangrove pool. (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve)

Family: Oxudercidae: Gobionellinae

Species Name: Hemigobius hoevenii
Common Name(s): Banded Mullet-goby

Presence in Singapore: Native
Habitat: Brackish but also inhabits freshwater. Mangrove creeks and pools.
Conservation status: Least Concern (Red Data Book 3)

A common species seen in our mangroves! The Banded Mullet-goby is recognizable by its slanting bands and the presence of an ocellus on both sides of the peduncle. Males appear to have orange dorsal and caudal fins, while the females' possess a mix of white-yellow and black. The margins of the dorsal fins are never white, which helps to separate it from other mangrove gobies. It is a small species, growing to a maximum length of 6cm but the average individual is half that size.

As with most mangrove gobies, it is found in creeks and pools left behind during low tide. It can also be seen inhabiting the burrows of other animals such as large mudskippers. It can live in varying salinities between fresh and brackish water. They forage by sifting through sediment or opportunistically catching prey such as small invertebrates. 

Typical Banded Mullet-goby individual at night. (Pasir Ris)

A (supposedly) female Banded Mullet-goby. Note the ocellus on the peduncle and slanting bands. (Pasir Ris)

References

• FishBase. Hemigobius hoevenii (Bleeker, 1851) – (Banded mulletgoby). Retrieved from https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Hemigobius-hoevenii.html
• Lim, K.K.P. & Low, J.K.Y. 1998. A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, 163 pp. ISBN 981-00-9904-5.
• National Parks Board (NParks). Marine Fishes. Retrieved from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature/species-list/marine-fishes.

Kabili Bumblebee Goby (Brachygobius kabiliensis)

Kabili Bumblebee Goby (Brachygobius kabiliensis)

One of several Kabili Bumblebee Gobies found in an isolated mangrove pool during low tide. (Admiralty Park)

Family: Oxudercidae: Gobionellinae

Species Name: Brachygobius kabiliensis
Common Name(s): Kabili Bumblebee Goby, Mangrove Bumblebee Goby

Presence in Singapore: Native
Habitat: Brackish but can also be found in freshwater. Mangrove creeks and pools.
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Red Data Book 3)

Bumblebee Gobies are popular in the aquarium trade due to their small sizes and big personalities, partnered with attractive patterning that give them the name! The Kabili Bumblebee Goby is likely to be the only native Brachygobius species found in Singapore, where they are common throughout the mangrove swamps. It is definitely easier to see them during low tide in pools and creeks, or even the burrows of other animals such as Giant Mudskippers (Periophthalmodon schlosseri).

"Easier to see" might be an overstatement from the raised trails and boardwalks of our local mangroves. The Kabili Bumblebee Goby is tiny, growing up to a maximum length of only under 2cm. It looks similar to other Brachygobius but has noticeably more bands and a smaller size. It is observed that the colouration and patterning is variable in intensity. In Singapore, Brachygobius sabanus and B.doriae are considered to be introduced but don't seem to mix with the featured native.

Like its relatives, the Kabili Bumblebee Goby is a predator of small invertebrates such as worms and crustaceans. They are often seen either sticking to the substrate and other surfaces, or "hovering" in the water column.

Several Kabili Bumblebee Gobies from Pasir Ris showing more solid bands and a brighter yellow! (Photograph by: Lumin Ong Jun Xiang)

A mangrove goby community in the burrow of a Giant Mudskipper. Kabili Bumblebee Gobies  make up half the picture! (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve)

References

• FishBase. Brachygobius kabiliensis (Fowler, 1937) – (Kabili bumblebee goby). Retrieved from https://www.fishbase.se/summary/25067
• Lim, K.K.P. & Low, J.K.Y. 1998. A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, 163 pp. ISBN 981-00-9904-5.
• Lim, K. K. P., & Tan, H. H. 2012. Addition of fish species to the established alien fauna of Singapore: Amblypharyngodon chulabhornnae and Brachygobius sabanus. Nature in Singapore 5: 69–72. Retrieved from https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/app/uploads/2017/06/2012nis069-072.pdf
• National Parks Board (NParks). Marine Fishes. Retrieved from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature/species-list/marine-fishes.