26KK jpeg Male, 45mm (1.8in) TL from Coward Springs Railway Bore, Marree, South Australia. Neil Armstrong photo.

70KK jpeg An overturned rock with a clutch of desert goby eggs from Freeling Springs, William Creek, South Australia. Peter J. Unmack photo.

Taxonomy

The genus Chlamydogobius has just been revised by Helen Larson of the Northern Territory Museum (Larson 1995).

Size

To 60mm (2.4in) TL.

Conservation Status

Not listed.

Distribution & Abundance

Widespread and often abundant in the Neales River and southwards around Lake Eyre to Clayton Bore West of Marree.

Habitat & Ecology

Desert gobies are typically found in springs, temporary waterholes in rivers and creeks, and flowing bore (well) drains. In many ecological aspects they are the Australian equivalent of the North American pupfishes (Cyprinodon). They can tolerate temperatures between 5 and at least 40°C (41 and 104°F), salinity's as high as 60 ppt, and they have been collected at oxygen concentrations as low as 0.8 mg/l. They are omnivorous (Glover 1973).

Reproduction

This is the only species in central Australia which has undergone extensive field study (Glover 1971; 1973). In aquaria, spawning generally occurs at temperatures above 26°C (79°F). Females typically lay 50-250 eggs on the ceiling of a cave. Males guard the eggs until hatching, which typically occurs in 10 days. Newly hatched fry are around 6mm (0.2in) long and are large enough to eat newly hatched brine shrimp. Desert gobies rarely seem to live longer than one year (Thompson 1983).

Threats

Most general threats to springs apply to this species. These primarily include introduced grazing animals, introduced species, and declining water pressure. One development that threatens part of the Lake Eyre spring supergroup is the Olympic Dam mining venture. Presently, the mine with draws 15 megalitres (4,000,000 gal) per day, however, it is planned to eventually expand this to 33 megalitres (8,700,000 gal) per day (Harris 1992). Several springs with desert gobies in this area could potentially be affected.

Conservation Action

A few springs containing desert goby have been fenced off from cattle and some have recently been acquired as National Park.

Conservation Recommendations

Continue monitoring of populations. Undertake studies to determine the likely impacts of cattle grazing, fencing, and introduced species such as dambusia (Gambusia holbrooki).

Important References

Glover, C. J. M. 1971. The taxonomy and biology of Chlamydogobius eremius (Zietz, 1896). M. Sc. Thesis, University of Adelaide.

Glover, C. J. M. 1973. Adaptations of a central Australian gobiid fish. Bulletin of the Australian Society for Limnology. 5: 8-10.

Harris, C. 1992. Mound Springs: South Australian conservation initiatives. The Rangeland Journal. 14(2): 157-173.

Larson, H. K. 1995. A review of the Australian endemic gobiid fish genus Chlamydogobius, with description of five new species. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 12: 19-51.

Thompson, G. 1983. The desert goby, Chlamydogobius eremius. Fishes of Sahul. 1(2): 17-20. (Journal of the Australian New Guinea Fishes Association, Australia).

This file was last modified:  18 March 2003