Valenciennea

Taxobox
name = "Valenciennea"

---

image_caption = "Valenciennea sexguttata"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Gobiidae
subfamilia =
genus = "Valenciennea"
genus_authority = Bleeker, 1856
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision ="see text"

Valenciennea is a genus of small, bottom-dwelling fish from the family Gobiidae. The members of the genus are commonly known as sleeper gobies. This is because of their tendency to rest directly on the substrate for extended periods of time. While this is a common behavior for members of the family, the "Valenciennea" also float motionless directly above the substrate, which is why they are sometimes called hover gobies.

The members of this genus are known to be carnivorous sand-sifters; To eat, they simply engulf entire mouthfuls of sand which they expel through their gills. Specialized structures in their gills filter small crustaceans and worms as the sand is expelled. It is this specific trait that makes some members of the genus attractive to the marine aquarist, and they are often introduced into a marine aquarium for sand-sifting.

Some of the species are known to be monogamous.

The genus was named after notable French zoologist Achille Valenciennes. Eleotriodes is a non-valid synonym of this genus.

pecies List

*"Valenciennea alleni" Hoese & Larson, 1994.
*"Valenciennea bella" Hoese & Larson, 1994.
*"Valenciennea decora" Hoese & Larson, 1994.
*"Valenciennea helsdingenii" Bleeker, 1856. Twostripe goby.
*"Valenciennea immaculata" Ni, 1981. Red-lined sleeper goby.
*"Valenciennea limicola" Hoese & Larson, 1994.
*"Valenciennea longipinnis" Lay & Bennett, 1839. Long-finned goby.
*"Valenciennea muralis" Valenciennes, 1837. Mural goby.
*"Valenciennea parva" Hoese & Larson, 1994. Parva goby.
*"Valenciennea persica" Hoese & Larson, 1994.
*"Valenciennea puellaris" Tomiyama, 1956. Maiden goby.
*"Valenciennea randalli" Hoese & Larson, 1994. Greenband goby.
*"Valenciennea sexguttata" Valenciennes, 1837. Sixspot goby.
*"Valenciennea strigata" Broussenet, 1782. Type species (as "Eleotris strigata"). Blueband goby. Commonly known as the yellow-headed sleeper goby. A popular aquarium fish.
*"Valenciennea wardii" Playfair, 1867. Ward's sleeper goby.

References