Giant bully

Taxobox


name = Giant bully
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Eleotridae
genus = "Gobiomorphus"
species = "G. gobioides"
binomial = "Gobiomorphus gobioides"
binomial_authority = (Valenciennes, 1837)The giant bully, "Gobiomorphus gobioides", is a sleeper of the genus "Gobiomorphus", found in slow flowing streams within a few kilometres of the coast of the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Their length is up to 25 cm.

The giant bully is the largest member of the Eleotridae family in New Zealand. It is very similar to the common bully; they have seven spines in the first dorsal fin but giant bullies always have six.

The life cycle of giant bullies are thought to be amphidromous but it is not known for certain. The larvae are thought to have a marine phase, but no juvenile giant bullies have ever been positively identified. In fact, few giant bullies of less than 80 mm have been recorded. The adults are never found more than a few kilometres inland and it is possible that they spend a long period in estuaries before moving into fresh water.

Giant bullies have been found in most regions in New Zealand and are probably more common than thought.

References

*
* [http://www.niwascience.co.nz/rc/freshwater/fishatlas/species/giant_bully NIWA June 2006]