Acanthogobius flavimanus (fish)

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Taxonomic name: Acanthogobius flavimanus (Temminck and Schlegel, 1845) Synonyms: Aboma snyderi Jordan & Fowler, Gobius flavimanus Temminck & Schlegel, Gobius stigmothonus Richardson Common names: Cá Bong (Viet Nam), Cá Bong hoa (Viet Nam), Japanese river goby, Mahaze (Japan), Oriental goby, spotted goby (Viet Nam), Yaponskii rechnoi bychok (Russian Federation), yellowfin goby, Zheltoperyi bychok (Russian Federation) Organism type: fish The yellowfin goby, Acanthogobius flavimanus is native to Asia. It has been introduced to Australia and the west coast of North America through ship ballast water and hull fouling. It negatively interacts with native and endangered species competing for food and resources. Description Acanthogobius flavimanus is easily identified due to its largesize. Adult yellowfin goby have a large head and elongate body and can grow to 30cm in length. This fish is pale brown with a series of dark saddles and spots. Juveniles have pale yellow ventral and anal fins. All ages possess yellow ventral fins whereas other gobies have clear, white, grey or black ventral fins (Barnham, 1998). Occurs in: coastland, estuarine habitats, marine habitats, water courses Habitat description Acanthogobius flavimanus inhabit muddy and sandy bottoms along the shore of bays and estuaries, and sometimes ascends rivers (FishBase, 2005). A. flavimanus are usually found in freshwater reaches of streams just above tidal influence during most of the year. Individual fish are commonly found in bays and inlets in water depths between 1 and 14 metres (Barnham, 1998). General impacts The introduction of Acanthogobius flavimanus alters fish communities and hastens the decline of native species. In California introductions of A. flavimanus have been associated with extirpations of an endangered species of fish - the tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi) from certain bodies of water. It also competes with native species for food sources (Meng et al. 1994: Lafferty et al. 1999, Nico and Fuller, 2004). Geographical range Native range: Asia (Nico and Fuller, 2004). Known introduced range: Australia and the west coast of North America (Arthington and Mckenzie, 1997; Williams et al. 2001). Introduction pathways to new locations Ship ballast water: A. flavimanus is believed to have been brought via ballast water and it is assumed to have been introduced in numbers in the range of 1000-10000 larvae (Marchetti et al. 2004). Arthington and Mckenzie (1997) state that “In Australia the yellowfin goby, A. flavimanus, was evidently introduced accidentally in ship ballast or contaminated oyster shipments” . Ship/boat hull fouling: It also is hypothesized that introduced gobies arrived as eggs on fouling organisms, such as oysters, growing on ship hulls (Nico and Fuller, 2004). Local dispersal methods Boat: Translocation by recreational craft was suggested as one of several possible mechanisms by which A. flavimanus populations in Australia have spread to regions that are not commercial shipping ports (Lockett and Gomon, 2001). Natural dispersal (local): Once established, this species spread in California, probably as a result of its own dispersal abilities (Nico and Fuller, 2004). Other (local): In addition, dispersal may have resulted from the species' possible use as a baitfish (Nico and Fuller, 2004). Water currents: Sometimes dispersal may result with the aid of currents (Nico and Fuller, 2004). Nutrition Acanthogobius flavimanus have been reported as aggressively feeding on smaller fish (Barnham, 1998). Wang (1986) reports that, "Major food items for small juvenile yellowfin goby are harpacticoid copepods (Miyazaki 1940) and other copepods (Dotsu and Mito 1955); the large juveniles eat amphipods, mysid shrimp, and small fish." Reproduction Acanthogobius flavimanus is oviparous, spawning in winter to early spring. During the breeding season in winter months, adults migrate downstream to spawn in the estuaries. Eggs are constructed in intertidal mudflats and deposited in Y-shaped covered nests (burrows or tunnels) 15-35cm deep and are ovoid in shape. Eggs measure 5.5mm long and 0.9mm wide and take 28 days to develop at optimum temperature (13C). The female may leave the burrow after spawning or may join the male in guarding the eggs. The incubation period is approximately 28 days at 13 C. (Barnham, 1998; FishBase, 2005; and Wang, 1986). Lifecycle stages Acanthogobius flavimanus larvae are pelagic. Newly hatched larvae swim out of the burrow and remain near the bottom. After the yolk sac is absorbed, the larvae disperse rapidly. Larvae float on the surface of the water column during flood tide and descend to near the bottom while the tide ebbs. Pelvic fins fuse into a sucking disc, and the fish are able to cling to substrates or crawl into burrows. Juvenile A. flavimanus prefer tidal sloughs with a muddy bottom and peatmoss banks (Wang 1986). Reviewed by: Dr. Michael Marchetti, Department of Biology California State University, Chico Chico California Principal sources: Wang, 1986. Fishes of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary and Adjacent Waters, California: A Guide to the Early Life Histories. Barnham, 1998. Freshwater Fish of Victoria - Gobies. Compiled by: National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) & IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) To contribute information, please contact Shyama Pagad. Last Modified: Monday, 14 August 2006