General Description

Broad head with bulbous cheeks, large mouth and eyes close together near the top. Body is brown to grey, paler below and often with a row of dark blotches along the sides. Has three to five dark brown saddle-shaped marks across the back and bars across the back of the head. Males are larger than females; they have larger mouths, very bulbous cheeks and longer bony supports within the fins (fin rays). Females have a black spot at the rear of the first dorsal fin. Body up to 11 cm.

Biology

Tamar Gobies are carnivores, eating mostly small crustaceans, insects, worms, molluscs and small fishes. They spawn in spring and females deposit their eggs onto hard surfaces. The parents guard the eggs until they hatch.

Distribution

Eastern and southern Australia, including Tasmania.

Habitat

Estuaries, bays, coastal lakes, and the lower parts of rivers, especially amongst seagrass and in silty/muddy areas in depths of 1-20 m.

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