Family ELEOTRIDAE

Eleotridae

Butis butis

<I>Hypseleotris klunzingeri</I>, Firzroy River, Queensland

Hypseleotris klunzingeri, Firzroy River, Queensland

Philypnodon macrostomus

<I>Prionobutis microps</I>, Western Australia

Prionobutis microps, Western Australia

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CAAB: 37429000

Family ELEOTRIDAE

Gudgeons, Sleepers

Compiler and date details

5 April 2024 - Douglass F. Hoese & Matthew M. Lockett

24 September 2018 - Douglass F. Hoese & Matthew M. Lockett

8 April 2015 - Douglass F. Hoese & Matthew M. Lockett

Introduction

Members of the Eleotridae are found worldwide in freshwater, estuarine and marine environments in tropical and warm temperate regions. Thirty-four genera are recognised with an estimated total number of species around 200. Little revisionary work has been undertaken on eleotrids from most parts of the world and, consequently, the names used here for many tropical genera are tentative. Currently, 16 genera and 51 described species are known from Australia as well as one species of Eleotris of uncertain identity,

Gudgeons are small to medium sized, ranging from 2 to 50 cm. Most species occur in freshwater or estuarine environments (typically associated with mangroves). A few small-sized species occur on rocky or coral reef environments (Calumia).

The group has been recognised as a distinct family for several years. Hoese (1984) noted that the separation of the pelvic fins, which had been the main character used to separate eleotrids from the gobiids, did not adequately separate coral reef species. Hoese & Gill (1993) who recognised a smaller group as a distinct subfamily, the Eleotridinae, were unable to resolve relationships of the more primitive subfamily Butinae and placed both subfamilies in the family Gobiidae. Nelson (1994), however, regarded members of the Eleotridinae and Butinae as distinct from gobiids and warranting a separate family, the Eleotridae. More recently authors have separated the two subfamilies into distinct families (Thacker 2009, Agorreta et al. (2013). The groups will be separated in later revisions in this catalogue. Some workers have suggested that Milyeringa belongs in the Odontobutidae (see Thacker 2009) or in the family Milyeringidae (see Chakrabarty 2010, Chakrabarty et al. 2012). We retain it here in the Eleotridae following Larson et al. (2013). Gill & Mooi (2012) placed Thalasseleotris in a separate family the Thalasseleotrididae. Relationships and biology of the group are discussed in Patzner et al. (2011). For the Australian genera the Butidae includes Bostrychus, Butis, Incara, Milyeringa, Ophiocara, Odonteleotris, Oxyeleotris and Prionobutis. The Eleotridae includes Bunaka, Calumia, Eleotris, Gobiomorphus, Hypseleotris, Kimberleyeleotris, Mogurnda and Philypnodon.

Hoese & Allen (1983) revised the Western Australian species of Hypseleotris. Bertozzi et al. (2000) discussed complex genetic variation in Hypseleotris from south-eastern Australia. Allen & Jenkins (1999) dealt with the Australian species of Mogurnda. Adams et al ((2013) discussed genetic variation in Mogurnda, possibly an indication additional species. Larson & Hoese (1980) revised the Indo-west Pacific genus Calumia. Temperate species were treated in Hoese et al. (1980), Hoese & Larson (1994), Larson & Hoese (1996), Hoese (2008). Larson & Murdy (2001) presented a key to the genera from the western Pacific. Philypnodon was treated by Hoese & Reader (2006). Species from the Kimberley Region were treated by Shelley et al. (2018). Thacker et al (2022) described four new species of Hypseleotris from south-eastern Australia. Shelley et al. (2023) described 3 new species from the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Keith & Mennesson (2023) treated species from Pacific islands, with only one of the species currently known from Australia.