Gobulus Ginsburg, 1933

Genus Gobulus Ginsburg, 1933 View in CoL

Te genus Gobulus contains four extant species, three in the East Pacific and one in the West Atlantic. Otoliths are only known from the East Pacific G. crescentalis (Gilbert, 1892) ( Fig. 34c View Fig ). For further comparison, otoliths are also shown of the three monotypic genera Eleotrica Ginsburg, 1933 — E. cableae Ginsburg, 1933 ( Fig. 34a–b View Fig )— Gymneleotris Bleeker, 1874 — G. seminuda (Günther, 1864)

( Fig. 34d View Fig )—and Nes Ginsburg, 1933 — N. longus (Nichols, 1914) ( Fig. 34e View Fig ).

Te otoliths of Gobulus and Eleotrica are recognized by their relatively elongate shape with a distinct postdorsal projection (OL:OH = 1.2–1.35), the inner face being markedly bent in the horizontal direction, and the sulcus being relatively large, distinctly deepened and with a low ostial lob and relatively wide cauda (OL:SuL = 1.7–1.85); the sulcus inclination angle is relatively low at 5–15°. Te otoliths of Gymneleotris differ in being more compact without a pronounced postdorsal projection and with a small sulcus (OL:SuL = 2.2). Te otoliths of Nes finally differ in being more high-bodied (OL:OH about 0.95) and showing a narrow and rather steeply inclined sulcus (> 20°).

Eleotrica View in CoL is endemic to the Galapagos Islands where it inhabits shallow sand-rubble adjacent to rocky reefs ( Robertson & Allen, 2015). Gobulus View in CoL and Gymneleotris View in CoL occur over sand, on rocks and cobbles at depths down to 20 m ( Robertson & Allen, 2015). Nes View in CoL lives in association with shrimps in burrows in silty substratum ( Böhlke & Robins, 1968).