Mahalona Bluefin Goby

Glossogobius mahalonensis is distinsguished by the the following characters: absence of all head pores; mental fraenum indistinct and covered by sensory papillae; cheek naked; operculum with few embedded small scales dorsally; predorsal scaled to near eye; pectoral base scaled; prepelvic area partly scaled, naked anteriorly; second dorsal fin-rays usually I,9; anal-fin rays usually I,8; pectoral rays 14–16; predorsal scales 17–24; pelvic fin oval, length about twice width, rays not thickened; gill opening broad, reaching to a point below end of pupil to posterior end of eye; midsides with horizontally elongate small brown spots (smaller than pupil length) forming a broken horizontal line, often indistinct, not visible in dark specimens; first dorsal fin blue in life; cheek papilla lines with multiple rows of papillae, forming distinct lines (Ref. 99936).

Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 7 - 8; Vertebrae: 27

Occurs in the shoreline of the Lake Mahalona. Found in a moderately steep inshore habitatcharacterised by mangroves over gravel substrate in the shallows, turning to predominantly rocks alternating with sand and mud in about two meters depth. The habitat was also composed of submerged dead wood, especially in less than two meters depth. Occupies shallows up to about 2 meters depth, but not present in depths between 2 and 12 m, the maximum depth visited by diving at sampling site. Occurs sympatrically with other fish species which include Telmatherina celebensis, Paratherina striata, P. wolterecki, Oryzias marmoratus, Mugilogobius latifrons, M. rexi, Glossogobius intermedius and G. matanensis (Ref. 99936).