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Bearded Goby

Barbuligobius boehlkei

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth3–20 m
  • Water temperature18–29 °C
  • Best monthsFebruary, April, and July
  • How commonRare
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About this species

Barbuligobius boehlkei, the Cryptic bearded goby, is a species of goby native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean where it can be found on sand-rubble substrates at depths of from 1 to 15 metres. This species grows to a length of 2 centimetres (0.79 in) SL. This species is the only known member of its genus. Its specific name honours James E. Böhlke (1930-1982) of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Cryptic bearded goby”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 5 records
  • February: 7 records
  • March: 5 records
  • April: 11 records
  • May: 6 records
  • June: 6 records
  • July: 8 records
  • August: 5 records
  • September: 3 records
  • October: 6 records
  • November: 5 records
  • December: 6 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 3–20 m · Deepest record: 21.5 m

  • 0–10 m: 12 records
  • 10–20 m: 7 records
  • 20–30 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 18–29 °C

  • 18–20 °C: 2 records
  • 20–22 °C: 4 records
  • 22–24 °C: 0 records
  • 24–26 °C: 20 records
  • 26–28 °C: 16 records
  • 28–30 °C: 2 records

Names and classification

English
Bearded Goby, Cryptic Bearded Goby
Names in 2 more languages
Japanese
Itohigemojahaze, イトヒゲモジャハゼ
Simplified Chinese
髯毛鰕虎, 髯毛鰕虎魚

Other scientific names: Bathygobius boehlkei

Similar species

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).
  • 68 open-data records from 1964 to 2005.
  • Species data updated October 31, 2026.

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