Gobiomorphus

Gobiomorphus is a genus with 7 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Gobies & Gudgeons section, recorded from New Zealand and Australia. Adult sizes run from 2.5 in to 7 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
7
Adult sizes
2.5–7 in
IUCN assessed
7 of 7
Recorded from
2 countries

About the genus

Gobiomorphus is a genus of eleotrid gobies, commonly called bullies or gudgeons, native to New Zealand and eastern Australia. The atlas's 7 species range from about 2.5 in to 7 in and are recorded from freshwater and estuarine habitats across both countries — rivers, streams, and lakes, often with a life history tied to the sea, since a number of species are amphidromous, with larvae drifting out to marine or estuarine waters before returning to fresh water as juveniles. They have the typical goby body plan of a blunt head and a robust, elongated body, though unlike true gobies (Gobiidae) their pelvic fins are separate rather than fused into a sucking disc.

Gobiomorphus cotidianus (common bully) is by far the best-known species, widespread throughout New Zealand's lakes and rivers and an important food source for introduced trout, while species such as G. huttoni (redfin bully) and G. hubbsi (bluegill bully) are more habitat-specific, favoring particular stream conditions. The genus is of far more interest to native-fish biologists and New Zealand aquarists than the wider aquarium trade, which rarely sees bullies offered commercially. Conservation status is broadly reassuring — four of the seven atlas species are Least Concern — though one, G. gobioides (giant bully), is assessed Near Threatened, and two remain Not Evaluated.

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened · 1 Least Concern · 4 Not Evaluated · 2

The 7 species

Every Gobiomorphus recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

(Krefft, 1864)

Striped gudgeon

7 in TL · LC

(Gray, 1842)

Cran's bully, Crans bully

3.5 in TL · NE

(Stokell, 1940)

Upland bully

3 in TL · LC

McDowall, 1975

Common bully

6 in TL · LC

(Valenciennes, 1837)

Giant bully

7 in TL · LC

(Stokell, 1959)

Bluegill bully

2.5 in TL · NE

(Ogilby, 1894)

Redfin bully, Redfinned bully

4.5 in TL · NT

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Gobiomorphus. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/gobiomorphus/

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