GOBIES FROM THE INTERTIDAL REGION OF BOMBAY

K. B. MUTSADDI AND D. V. BAL Kirti College, Bombay-28

ABSTRACT Twenty one species of Gobies belonging to twelve genera are reported from Bombay waters.

INTRODUCTION The intertidal zone being easily accessible has been a field of intensive study in many parts of the globe. In no other circumstance one can finds o richly populated life with almost all types of faima and flora. The gobies and .blennies form the dominant piscifauna, often found wriggling, fighting, hopping, chasing and darting into crevices when slightly distmbed. From the economic point of view, the gobies form a minor fishery in Bombay and are sold in local markets. These fishes are known for delicacy and are consumed in Bombay, especially when the regular fishery, more or less, comes to a close, during monsoons. A systematic account of some species of Gobioidea from Bombay waters has come from Fowler (19i 8). Thetaxonomic description of various species of gobies from different habitats of India has been given by Anandale (1919), Day (1889), Herre (1939, 1940), Hora (1915, 1924, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941), Koumans (1942, 1953), Pannikkar (1937), Pillay (I90I-19I5) and others. The present paper deals with the sub-family Gobiinae, fairly well represented in Bombay waters with 21 species belonging to 12 genera. -The species have been reviewed here with special reference to salient featiires, fin-ray formula, description, colouration in life and under preservation and the range of distribution with remarks JQXX local habitats.

LIST OF SPECIES ORDER : GOBIIDEA FAMILY : GOBIIDAE SUB-FAMILY : GOBIINAE 1. Smilogobius inexplicatus Berre. 2. Parachaetunchthys polynema (Blkr.) ' 3. Parachaeturichyhys ocellatus (Day) Indim /. Fist, Vol 20 (2) K. B. Miimi:,i>, AMD IX ^

Figs. 1. J«n ;. J, »,ajt(,»,-. GOBIES OF BOMBAY 477 4. Oxyurichthys microlepis (Blkr-) 5. Acentrogobous dayi sp. nov. 6. Acentrogobim griseus (Day) 7. Acentrogobius viridipunctatus (C. V.) 8. Acentrogobius masoni (Day) 9. Acentrogobius cyanomos (Blkr.) 10. Acentrogobius ornatus (Riipp.) 11. Acentrogobius reichei (Blkr.) 12. Oligolepis acutipennis (C. V.) 13. Oligolepis cylindriceps (Hora.) 14' Barbatogobius asanai 15. Quisquilius eugenius. Jordan & Everman 16. Glossogobius biocellatus (C.V.) 17. Glossogobius giruris (H. B.) 18. Stigmatogobius javarueus (Blkr.). 19. Ctenogobius crimger (C. V.) 20. Bathygobius fuscus (Riipp.) 21. Mugilogobius vtdigouva (Deraniyagala) The classification followed here is according to Dr. F- P. Koumans (1953). TABLE 1. GOBIINAE •vl 00 Systematics: Order: GOBIOIDEA; Family: GOBIIDAE; Sub-family: GOBIINAE

Genera & Species Salient Characters : Fin-ray Formula Colouration in Life Colours Local Habitat Preservation

1. Smilogobius inexplicatus 1. Body with 8 broad D.l VI; D.2 1/10; a)Yellowishwitewith The general colour- Intertidal pools, rich transverse bands. 2 A.I/9;L.l about 70 whitish tinge on ven- ation is greenish in algal growth: Two large insisor- L.tr. about 20 tral surface, b) 8 above with heavily CufiFe-parade, Ch- like teeth on vomers. broad dusky brown pigmented transve- awpatty, Worli, 3. Two longitudinal transverse bands, two rsebands, Mahim, Danda, i^ mucous canals on before dorsals, 3rd Thana. cheek. 4. Pre-dorsal and 4th below 1st region naked. S. Ill dorsal and the rest ray of the first below the second dorsal fin longest. 6. dorsal fin. o Caudal fin rounded. a. Z.Parachaeturichthys ocellatus 1. A pair of short D.l VI; D.2 1/10; a) Olive, a green spot Yellowish green Muddy Creeks:Co- barbels A.I/9;P.20;L.1.32- above the margin of with yellowishocel- laba, Worli, Ma- 33; L.tr. 9 opercle. b) About 6 lus with black cen­ him, Danda, Madh, blotches on the side of tre of the caudal. Mahul, Thana. the body, c) A yellow ocellus with black centre at the top of caudal. 3.Parachaeturichthys polynema 1. Caudal with black D. VI;D.2. 1/9; P. , a) Darkish green above Deep darkish green In creeks and back- margin with a basal 20-21; L. tr. 7-8 lighter below, b) Fins with yellowish tinge tca/eriiColabajCuf- oblong violet to purple c) fe-parade. Beach Caudal fin with black Candy, Haji Ali, margin below, above, Madh and Thana. at the base a large ob­ long ocellus bordered with black and yellow. 4. Oxywichthys microlepis 1. Several rows of D.1.VI;D.2.1/12; a) Green above, red Green with large In Creeks and back­ warts across cheeks. A. 1/13; P. 20-22. pearl-like below b) On violet blotches on waters : Colaba 2. A black triangu­ Predorsal Scales 17 back and sides large sides. Chowpatty, Beach lar spot in the iris. 3. violet blotches, c) Candy; Worli, Car­ Scales on back and First dorsal with 2 ter Road, Danda, sides with blue spots. blue longitudinal stre­ Madh. 4.^1ow the eye and aks. on scapula a violet spot. 5. First dorsal tin with 2 longitudi­ nal streaks, rays with dark spots. 5. Acentrogobius dayi I. Two longitudinal D.l VI; D.2.1/9-11; a) Olivaceous, b) An Deep Olivaceous Soft muddy flats mucous panals over A 1/8-10; P. 17-19: irregular band from with bands and partly burrowed: Ele- dieek. 2. Caudal ob­ L.tr. 14; Pre-dorsal mouth to centre of ocellus. phanta Islands; long. 3. Olivaceous, scales about 20-30. base of caudal, c) A Madh; Marve Beach. i a blotched irregular narrow band from eye band from mouth to to above opercle. d) centre of caudal. 4. A large blue ocellus u Two small bluish sp­ above opercle. o ots on opercle, ano­ ther at the upper edge > of base of caudal. 6. Acentrogobius griseus 1. Some mucous can- D.1.VI;D. 2. I/IO; 1) Olivaceous, with Soft muddy flats als longitudinally A.I/9; P. 17; L.l. bands & many well- Elephanta Islands. over cheek. 2. Rays 42; L.tr. 14; Pre- marked black spots, of first dorsal filifom dorsal scales more b) Ventral, anal and longer than height of than 20. caudal with dark outer body, 2nd ray is the edges. longest. 3. Pectoral fin, dotted with small che$nutspots.4.Base of first dorsal with 3/4horizontal brown l»nds. 5. Second dorsal yellowish. -J TABLE 1. {Continued) I Genera & Species Salient C3iaracters : Fin-ray Formula Colouration in Life Colours Local Habitat Preservation

1. Aeentrogobius viridipunctatus 1. Base of the first D. 1. VI; D. 2.1/10; a)Dark lateral spots. Blackish green with Below stones, algae: dorsal with blak lon- A. 1/9; P. 18-20; L b) Fins yellowish or- shiny spots on sea Colaba, Worli, Ma- gitudianal stripe. 2. tr. 10; Pre-dorsal ange. c) Ventralblac- les with orange fins, him, Danda, Madh< Second Dorsal with 2 scales more than 20 kish. Mahul and Thana. dark longitudinal bands. w

8. Aeentrogobius masoni 1 .A pair small broad D.l.VI; D. 2. 1/10 a) Olive with blue sp- Deep olive, with Below algal bids: barbels on chin. 2. 11;A.L/9;P. 19; L. otson nape and beh­ pectorals yellowish Danda, Madh, I Last tooth of lower tr. 9.; Pre-dorsal ind pectoral fins, b) viith darkermargin. Thana. jaw a recurved scales 25. Dorsal fins, anal,ven­ i canine. 3. A large tral and caudal black­ d slit-like open pore at ish. the supraopercular i groove. 4. First o dorsal with II, III and o rv rays longest. ?

9. Aeentrogobius cyanomos 1. Lips thick. 2. No D.1VI;D. 2.1/10; a) Blackish green b) 1) Darkish green Back-waters. Eleph- barbels»3. Longitu- A.I/8-10&P.18-19; Scales with shiny gre- with Olive below, anta & Madh dinal rows of mucous L. tr. 8-9; Pre-dor- enish spots, c) On 2) All fins, except Islands, canals over cheek, sal scales 14. shoulder a blue spot, ventral reddish. 3) 4. Head scaled above d) Base of caudal Membrane of 2nd and behind eyes,rest above with dark dorsal & caudal of head naked. blotch. with 3-5 rows of whitish sopts. 10. AcaUrogobius ornatus 1. No pore either in D.1.VI;D.2.1/10- a) Green above ligh- a) Olivaceous, b) Rocky Beahces: interobital or behind 11; A. 1/8-9; P.19- ter below, b) Head Laterally on body Mahim, Bandstand eye. 2. First dorsal 20;L.tr. 8-9; Pre- laterally with yellow­ each scale with shiny Bandra, Varsova, obtuse, n & in rays dorsal ish spot, c) Dorsal spot, c) Anal yel­ Thana. thelargest. 3. Second half of head and body lowish, dark borde­ dorsal, pectorals ob­ with violet spots alte­ red, d) Caudal ora­ tuse. 4. Body with rnating with yellowish nge with dark and dark and yellow sp­ streaks in oblique yellow spots. ots yellgwish streaks series in oblique series.

II, AcentrogobUis reichei 1. Below eye an ob­ D.l VI; D.2. 1/8; a) Green above, ligh­ a) Deep green with Rocky Beaches; lique band of mucous P.16;L.tr.7-8;Pre- ter below, b) Laterally violet stripe from Colaba, Cuff-par­ canals-a-broad band, doTsalscales 12 on back many small eye to chin, b) Fins ade, Worli, Danda> bordered by two st­ olivaceous spots, in yellowish, c) Rays Madh. S ronger developed the middle of sides 5 of II dorsal, pecto­ larger spots, c) Dark ral & caudal spot­ canals run longitu­ o dinally over cheek. spot on upper part of ted. •a 2. Pectoral obtuse, base of pectoral with u without free silky a stripe on lower part Q rays. part of it. %

12. Otigolepis acutipemis 1. A single mucous D.1.VI;D.2.I/10- a) Yellowish, b) From a) Head & back Algal waters; Beach canal from posterior 11;A.I/10-11;P.20 eye to maxillary an with black spots. Candy, Hazi Ali, nostril, divided into L.tr. 7-8. oblique violet streak. b) Reddish c) Ven­ Doodhi Beach, 2 branches. 2. Head c) Five large dark sp­ tral Thana. and nape naked. 3. ots, alternate with Caudal lanceolate. five transverse strips. 4. Dark spot on the d) Membrane of dor­ base of pectoral. sal fins and caudal with rows of dark spots. TABLE 1. (Continued) 4^ to

Genera & Species Salient Characters : Fin-ray Formula Colouration in Life Colours Local Habitat Preservation

13. Oligolepis cylindriceps 1. Two longitudinal D.l VI; D.2. 1/9; a) Yellowish with 7-11 Head dusky. Sack waters; Mahim, mucous canals over A.I/9;L.tr. 5. vertical bands, b) A Thana. cheek. 2. Cheek and number of black spots opercle' naked. 3. along middle sides. Caudal oblong. 4. On head round dark spots. 5. First !^ dorsal with minute black spots, with heavy black ma­ I rkings between IV H & V ray. > a o 14. Barbatogobius asanai 1. Several barbels D.1.VI;D.2. I/IO; Brownish pectoral with Deep brownish. Below stones; near nostrils, chin A.I/9;P.21;L.tr.l4 dark band, ending in a Colaba, Mahim, and lower jaw. 2. light ocellus. Madh and Eleph- Tongue emarginate. anta. > 3. Dorsal fins very close to one another. 4. Body with 3 alternating rows of about 5 blo­ tches. 5. First dorsal with 2 broad oblique dark bands ; the se­ cond dorsal with 3-4 dusky ones. 15. Quisgmlius eugenius 1. Tongue bilobiate. D.1.VI;D.2. I/IO- a) Yellowish, b) Head a) Deep Yellow Intertidal pools; Ali- 2. Twelve transverse ll;A.I/8-9:P.18-19 and body dotted with with 12 bandswith bag, Colaba, Beach bands on body-with small black spots, c) dots on fins. Candy, Bandra Band­ VI, Vra and IX ext­ Dorsal fins & caudal stand. ending upwaids uu with minute spots. dorsal fins. 3. Dorsal fins close together.

16.Glossogobius biocellatus l.Irisof theeyewith D.l. VI; D.2. 1/9; a) Greenish black, b) a) Blackish green. Intertidal pools a process in pupil. 2. A. 1/8; P. 17-19; L. On body shiny gree- b) Body with shiny Mahim & Versova. First dorsal with 2 tr. 7-8; Pre-dorsal nish spots and 5-6 lar- green spots. i ocelli.3.Acrestfroni scales 14-17. ger blotches altema- O It snoul to temporal. ting.c) Pectoral with » 4. Caudal rounded. dark spot above the o 5. Fins blakish to base, orange.

17. Giossogobiiis giruris l.Iriswithout proce- D.l. VI;D.2.1/8-9; a) Olive green lighter a) Blackish green Intertidal pools. ss in pupil. 2. First A. 1/7-8; P. 17-21: below, b) Head with above, b) Head with Mahim, Versova. dorsal with one or L.tr. 8-14; Pre-dor­ irregular dark to vio­ deep violet spots. without spot 3.Cau­ sal scales 12-30. let spots, c) Alterna­ dal oblong. 4. Fins ting bancs with 4-6 yellowish green. dark blotches. 4V. TABLE 1. (Continued) 00

Genera A Species : Salient Characters :: Fin-ray Formula : Colouration in Life Colours : Local Habitat Preservation :

18. Stigmnatogobius Javanicus 1. First dorsal with D. l.VI; D.2.1/6-7; Greenish above, red­ Dark green above. Mertidal small dark strip obliquely A. 1/6-7; P. 15; L.tr. dish-green below. greenish red below. pools; Mahim, Ve- forward and with sova, Madh. dark spots between m& Vray. 2. On body 2 alternating rows of dark blot­ ches, 3. Middle ray of the first dorsal longest. 4. Body with numerous spots i and laterally 2-3-lon- o gitudinal rows, each 2 of 5 blotches. S.Rays > of second dorsal and caudal spotted. 6. p Base of pectoralwith 2 dark spots. !< CO 19. Ctenogobius criniger 1. First dorsal poin­ D. 1. VI; D.2. 1/9; a) Olive green above. Orange green above Below stones; ^ ted, II & m rays the A. 1/9; P. 17-19; L. pearl coloured below. orange below. Mahim, Bandra> longest filifom. 2. tr. 11-12; Pre-dorsal b) Fins yellowish, c) Versova, Madh. Head and dorsal scales 2-3 Caudal and anal with part of body with blackish border irregular blackish spots. 3. Three large black spots each, be­ low first dorsal, se­ cond dorsal and thi­ rd on middle of cau­ dal. 20. Batkygobius fuscus 1. About 30-40 Sca­ D.1.VI;D. 2.1/9-10 a) Olivaceous above a) Head with shiny Below stones; Elc- les in L. 1; 11-13 in A.l'8-9;P.19-20; L. lighter below, c) Fins spots and the body phanta, Colaba, L. tr. 2. First dorsal tr. 11-13; L.2 3840 light. with shiny spot la­ Chawpatty, Beach fin lower than body, scales. Pre-dorsal terally on each Candy, Hazi AH, the middle rays the scales 24 or less b)Fins dark. side. Worli,Mahim, San­ longest. 3. Pectoral dra Band stand fin rounded. 4. Head Madh. and body with irre- onlar cr»r»tc f\r\ \%nt\\T often placed in two alternating longitu­ dinal rows.

Q 21. Afi^logobius valigoma 1. Two or three lon­ D.l. VI; D.2. 1/7; a) Brownish with a Below Stones; O gitudinal • mucous A. I. 1/7; P. 18-20. lateral row of 9-11 Colaba, Beadi u canals. 2. First dor­ spots connected by Candy, Hazi All, o sal as high as body, diffuse dark band, b) Worli, Mabim, Ban- •a u n,m& IV rays lon­ First dorsal with an dra Band stuid, O gest. 3. Cheek na­ oblique black band. Madh. ked, opercle scaled. > 4. Caudal subtrun- cate. 5. Second dor­ sal with three black spots. 6. Caudal with two round black spots.

GO Kft 486 K. B. MUTSADDI AND D. V. BAL

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ; Thanks are due to the principal, Kirti M. Dopngursee College, Bombay-28; for giving facilities for the preparation of this paper, i

REFERENCES ANANDALE, F. 1919, The fauna of certain small streams of Bombay Presidency, Rec. Ind. Mits. 16 : 125-129. DAY, F. 1967. Fishes of India, Fish 1 and 2: 1889. FOWLER, H.W. 1918. Description of Bombay shore fishes. Bom. Nat. Hist. Soc, 33 : 100-119. HERRE, W.C. 1939. On a collection of littoral and fresh water fish from Andaman Islands, Rec. Ind. Mus., 41 : 329-403. HERRE, W.C. 1940. Fishes of Andaman Islands, Mem. Ind. Mus., 42 : 1-18. HoRA, S.L. 1915. Fish (part V), Mem. Ind. Mus. 5 : 739-764 HoRA, S.L. 1924. On a new genus of Gobioid fishes, Rec. Ind. Mus. 26 : 156-163. HORA, S.L. 1934. The systematic position of Hamilton's species of Gobioid fishes from the Ganges, Rec. Ind. Mus. 26 : 463-470. HoRA, S.L. 1935. Notes on fishes from Indian Museum, Rec. Ind. Mus. 27 : 453-470. HoRA, S.L. 1936. Ecology and Bionomics of the Gobioid fishes of Gangetic Delta, Comt. Reud. XII, Congr. Internant, Zool. 340-364. HORA, S.L. 1940. On a collection of fisn from the hard waters of the Mahanadi river, Rec. Ind. Mus. XL : 365-374 HORA, S.L. 1941. New records of fresh water fishes from Travancore, Rec.Ind. Mus. XL3,: 387-394. KouMANS, F.P. 1942. Gobioid fishes of India, Mem. Ind. Mus. 13 : 206-329. KouMAKs, F.P. 1953. The fishes of Indo-Australian Archipelago, 10: 1-394. PANNIKAR, N.K. 1937. The brackish water fauna of Madras. Proc. Ind. Acad. Sc.,6 : 284-336. PiLLAY, S.N. 1901-1915. A list of fishes taken from Travancore, Bom. nat. Hist. Soc. 33, 347-379.