Gobioides

Gobioides View in CoL / Gobionellus clade sensu Pezold, 2004

It is difficult to identify otolith features or patterns that would define the otoliths of the genera in the Gobioides / Gobionellus clade. Teir otoliths tend to be high-bodied, with an OL:OH usually <1.0, but exceptions exist (e.g., Ctenogobius sagittula ). Te otoliths are usually quite thin, with a convex inner and concave to flat outer face. Te sulcus shows the typical gobioid sole-shaped outline in some genera, such as Ctenogobius , but is more reduced in most others. A subcaudal iugum is mostly not developed, but exceptions exist with a rather wide and long subcaudal iugum (e.g., Ctenogobius sagittula and Gobionellus microdon ). Otoliths of adult specimens of some species of Gobionellus and Gnatholepis show an unusual development of the ventral furrow, which does not curve upward anteriorly and posteriorly but instead opens to the anterior-ventral and posterior-ventral rims of the otolith.