New Zealand black goby

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New Zealand black goby
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Gobiidae
Genus: Gobiopsis
Species: G. atrata
Binomial name
Gobiopsis atrata
(Griffin, 1933)

The New Zealand black goby, Gobiopsis atrata, is a goby of the family Gobiidae, found around northern New Zealand to depths of about 30 m, in reef areas of broken rock and sand or mud. Its length is between 5 and 10 cm.

The New Zealand black goby lives in burrows made in sand against rocky reefs. When disturbed the fish dives into the burrow giving little chance at identification.

It is a uniform dark grey-black, with fused pelvic fins typical of most gobies, and the typical tubular body shape with blunt head.

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