''Chlamydogobius'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

gobies Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and the ...

from Australia. All but one coastal

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

(''C. ranunculus'') are found in inland waters, such as springs, pools, creeks and streams. Most species live in extreme environments; for example, several species of ''Chlamydogobius'' are found in the water that emerges from

geothermal springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by cir ...

, such as the

Dalhousie goby The Dalhousie goby (''Chlamydogobius gloveri'') is a species of goby endemic to Australia where it lives in the Dalhousie Springs. This species can reach a standard length of . It feeds on small molluscs, crustaceans and other odds and ends li ...

, found in the waters around

Dalhousie Springs Dalhousie Springs, also known as Witjira-Dalhousie Springs, is a group of over 60 natural artesian springs located in Witjira National Park on the western fringe of the Simpson Desert, 180 kilometres northeast of Oodnadatta in northern South Aus ...

. These fish can live in water with a wide range of temperatures, pH, salinity, and

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...

levels; for example they are found in water with a pH between 6.8 and 9.0, and temperatures between . They can tolerate salinity as high as 60 parts per thousand (almost twice that of sea water). They have been found in water with extremely low oxygen levels (as low as 0.8 ppm). Their water habitats often exhibit oxygen levels below 5 milligrams of oxygen per litre. To cope with extremely low oxygen levels, they will emerge from the water to "gulp" air (known as aerial respiration). They also will position themselves over beds of algae to capture the produced oxygen. They will hide in the mud and silt at the bottom of a stream, or in a plant or under a rock to avoid more extreme water temperatures. Sometimes they will emerge from very hot water for brief periods to take advantage of evaporative cooling. They can survive even if there are drought conditions that reduce the size of their habitat. If there is a flood that results in drastically increased water flow, they anchor themselves to rocks with their pelvic fins. ''Chlamydogobius'' fish are able to change their colours to blend in with their environments. Human drilling activities in Australia have often reduced the pressure of the

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials ( gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characteris ...

s that feed the Australian hot springs that ''Chlamydogobius'' rely on, so some species are endangered.

Species

There are currently six recognized species in this

: * '' Chlamydogobius eremius'' ( Zietz, 1896) (Desert goby) * '' Chlamydogobius gloveri'' Larson, 1995 (Dalhousie goby) * '' Chlamydogobius japalpa'' Larson, 1995 (Finke goby) * '' Chlamydogobius micropterus'' Larson, 1995 ( Elizabeth springs goby) * '' Chlamydogobius ranunculus'' Larson, 1995 (Tadpole goby) * '' Chlamydogobius squamigenus'' Larson, 1995 (Edgbaston goby)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q309992 Fish of Australia Gobionellinae