A checklist of the gobioid fishes of the world (Percomorpha: Gobiiformes)

A checklist of the fishes of the order Gobiiformes is presented. The checklist contains 3585 nominal species names (including 77 as incertae sedis and 50 not available names) representing 2310 valid species in 324 genera. Species and genera are grouped within seven families (Agorreta et al. 2013): Ryacichthyidae, Odontobutidae, Butidae, Eleotrididae, Milyeringidae, Thalasseleotrididae and Gobiidae. The formerly family Xenisthmidae is included in Eleotrididae. The family Gobiidae is the largest marine fish family with 2086 species, one fourth of Gobiidae inhabiting freshwaters and grouped in nine subfamilies (Agorreta et al. 2013): Amblyopinae, Gobiinae, Gobionellinae, Oxudercinae, Sicydiinae, Kraemeriinae, Microdesminae, Ptereleotrinae, and Schindleriinae. The most speciose genus is Eviota with 123 species, followed by Trimma (107 species) and Rhinogobius (86 species); 20 genera contain 21 to 39 species, 42 genera include 10 to 20 species, 102 genera are monotypic, whereas 55 contain only two species and 104 genera contain 3–9 species. From the nominal species that are listed as incertae sedis in current literature I was able to remove the following combinations which are here regarded as new synonyms: Batrachus guavina Bloch and Schneider, 1801 is a senior synonym of Guavina guavina (Valenciennes, 1837); Eleotris lucani Rochebrune, 1885 is a junior synonym of Dormitator lebretonis (Steindachner, 1870); Eleotris siculus Swainson, 1839 is a senior synonym of Odondebuenia balearica (Pellegrin and Fage 1907); Gobius aterrimus Rafinesque, 1814 is a junior synonym of Gobius niger Linnaeus, 1758); Gobius erythrostomus Walbaum, 1792 is a junior synonym of Gobius cruentatus Gmelin, 1789; Gobius djiddensis Bonnaterre, 1788 is a senior synonym of Cryptocentroides arabicus (Gmelin, 1789)]; Gobius pustulatus Bonnaterre, 1788 is a senior synonym of Gobius cruentatus Gmelin, 1789; Gobius miniaceus Rochebrune, 1885 is a junior synonym of Porogobius schlegelii (Günther, 1861)]; Scorpaena diepiptera Bianconi, 1862 is a junior synonym Butis butis Hamilton, 1822. Regalecus lanceolatus Lacepède, 1800 is a senior synonym of Acanthogobius hasta (Temminck and Schlegel, 1845) and together with Batrachus guavina Bloch and Schneider, 1801, Eleotris siculus Swainson, 1839, Diaphoroculius rangiroae Fowler, 1938, Gobius djiddensis Bonnaterre, 1788 and Gobius pustulatus Bonnaterre, 1788 are all here declared nomina oblita. Gobius miniaceus Rochebrune, 1885 is a junior synonym of Porogobius schlegelii (Günther, 1861); Gobius mediterraneus Bloch and Schneider, 1801 is here regarded as a new synonym of G. niger Linnaeus, 1758.