Bluespotted Goby
Asterropteryx semipunctata
- Usual depth0–11 m
- Water temperature20–30 °C
- Best monthsApril, May, and November
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Asterropteryx semipunctata, the starry goby is a species of true goby from the family Gobiidae. It is a widespread species, found from the Red Sea and Persian Gulf to Hawaii and the Line Islands, north to Japan and south to Lord Howe Island, as well as Western Australia and New South Wales. It is found on reef rocks covered in algae and among the rubble of the inner flats and turbid lagoons. It uses burrows and holes in the reef to hide in and it feeds on small benthic invertebrates. This species is found either living a solitary life but has also been recorded in small groups. It is the type species of the genus Asterropteryx.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Asterropteryx semipunctata”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 83 records
- February: 82 records
- March: 77 records
- April: 174 records
- May: 160 records
- June: 63 records
- July: 69 records
- August: 75 records
- September: 90 records
- October: 77 records
- November: 110 records
- December: 69 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–11 m · Deepest record: 150 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 20–30 °C
Photos
(c) 呂一起(Lyu yi-chi), some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) 呂一起(Lyu yi-chi), some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Antoine MARNAT, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Leon Perrie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Tyler Bishop, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Bluespotted Goby, Halfspotted Goby, Halfspotted Goby, Starry goby, Star-finned Goby, starry fin, Starryfin Goby, starry goby
Names in 3 more languages
- French
- Gobie à points bleus
- Japanese
- Hoshihaze, ホシハゼ
- Simplified Chinese
- 半斑星塘鱧, 星塘鱧
Other scientific names: Asteropteryx semipunctatus, Asterropterix eumeces, Asterropterix semipunctata, Asterropterix semipunctatus, Asterropteryx semipunctatus, Eleotris miniatus, Gobiomorphus hypselopteryx, Gobiomorphus robustus, Priolepis auriga, Prioolepis auriga
Similar species
Striped GobyAsterropteryx striata
- Orange-spotted Goby
Asterropteryx bipunctata
- Bluedot Goby
Asterropteryx ensifera
- Senou's Goby
Asterropteryx senoui
Black-chest Shrimp-gobyAmblyeleotris guttata
Steinitz' gobyAmblyeleotris steinitzi
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 1,978 open-data records from 1902 to 2023.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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