Classification / Names
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Teleostei (teleosts) >
Gobiiformes (Gobies) >
Gobiidae (Gobies) > Sicydiinae
Etymology: Stiphodon: Greek, stiphos, -eos, -oys = mass + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335); mele: Named for its type locality, Mele waterfall in Efate; noun in apposition.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; amphidromous (Ref. 82682); depth range ? - 5 m (Ref. 86942). Tropical
Oceania: endemic to Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 82682); 2.5 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 10. This specie is distinguished from its congeners in having the following characters: D2 with 9 segmented rays; pectoral rays usually 13; premaxillary teeth, fine tricuspid, 36-41; small symphyseal teeth in female 2 (vs. 2-4 stout teeth in males); no predorsal scales; low number of scales in transverse back (3-7) and lateral series (14-21). Males usually orange in color, females greyish to brownish (Ref. 82682).
Occurs in clear, high gradient streams with rocky bottom and lives mainly on the riverbed, on top of rocks, but also seen swimming in open water in the current between rocks or in large pools; observed from 10 to 100 m high in altitude. It spawns in freshwater, the free embryos drift downstream to the sea where they undergo a planktonic phase, before returning to the rivers to grow and reproduce (Ref. 82682).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Keith, P., G. Marquet and M. Pouilly, 2009. Stiphodon mele n. sp., a new species of freshwater goby from Vanuatu and New Caledonia (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Sicydiinae), and comments about amphidromy and regional dispersion. Zoosystema 31:471-483. (Ref. 82682)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).