The Brown-Red Coralgoby, scientifically named Gobiodon fuscoruber, is a small tropical fish that inhabits the vibrant marine reefs of the Indo-West Pacific, including regions like the 🌊 Red Sea, 🇯🇵 Japan, and 🇦🇺 Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It grows to a maximum length of 3.7 centimeters (approximately 1.5 inches) and is uniquely adapted to live among Acropora corals. While it prefers Acropora selago, it also resides on other species such as Acropora acuminata and Acropora hyacinthus.
Distinctive for its deep and strongly compressed body, the Brown-Red Coralgoby features a slender caudal peduncle and a noticeable groove between its throat and the lower gill cover. Adults exhibit a steep, slightly hump-backed profile, while juveniles have a rounded head. Both the head and body are without scales, making them 'naked' by scientific classification.
The fish's coloration is a rich, dark reddish-brown with a subtle greenish sheen along its back. Its median fins are either plain or possess a pale margin, depending on the geographical location. The iris of the fish can vary in appearance, being either plain light blue or adorned with red-brown dots around the outer edge. The species is also equipped with specific fin and vertebrae structures: it has 7 dorsal spines, 10 dorsal soft rays, 1 anal spine, and 8 anal soft rays, along with 26 vertebrae in total.
Interestingly, the Brown-Red Coralgoby can engage in facultative air-breathing, though it primarily resides in less exposed parts of reef flats, crests, and upper reef slopes. Its vivid coloration and unique physical features align with its scientific name, which combines Latin and Greek roots to describe its physical characteristics and tooth structure. Despite regional variations in its appearance, the Brown-Red Coralgoby maintains a consistent brown-red hue across its wide distribution.
Why it's threatened
Threat classification from the IUCN Red List.
