Description:

Dorsal spines: 7; Dorsal rays: 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal rays: 8. 

A small goby, body slender and compressed, tapering posteriorly. Head more or less triangular in cross-section. Snout short and pointed, mouth oblique. 
Rear of jaws reach below front margin of pupil. Anterior nostril a short tube, just behind upper lip. Posterior nostril a pore closer to anterior nostril 
than to eye. Opening of gill extending to or almost to vertical at posterior edge of opercle. Dorsal edge of eye little above dorsal profile of head. 
Interorbital space very narrow and concave. First dorsal fin above pectoral fin base. First and second dorsal fins separated by a very short distance. 
Pectoral fin long, extending to above second or third ray of anal fin. Pelvic fins connected to form a disc, thin membrane uniting them to or near to 
tips of fifth rays. Caudal fin with a slightly rounded margin. Body covered with ctenoid scales. Prepelvic area and pectoral base covered with large 
cycloid scales. Midline of nape naked. Sides of nape scaled forward to above posterior half of operculum or to above pectoral base. Cheek and operculum 
without scales.

Colour. A semi-transparent greyish goby. Body with orange-brown spots and blotches. Two large black spots on first dorsal fin, anterior spot often 
vertically elongate at tip of a thin black vertical line extending from base of fin, second spot between fifth and sixth dorsal spines; a faint black 
spot above anterior margin of pectoral base; caudal peduncle with round to triangular spot; a thin vertical brown bar or oval blotch below eye. 

Maturity: Uknown. Max length : 5.7 cm TL.

Inhabits sandy floors of holes and depressions of clear seaward reefs (depth 1-46 m). Occurs singly or in groups, secretive. Benthic. Feeds on small 
invertebrates.
 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. 
 

This species differs from other species of Fusigobius in pectoral ray and gill-raker counts, colouration, reduced pelvic frenum, branching of the pelvic 
rays, presence of two large black spots on the first dorsal fin and shape of the first dorsal fin.
Photo courtesy Eleanor Brighton and Chris Mason-Parker (c) 2022 Blue Safari Seychelles/Marine Conservation Society, Seychelles. 
Photograph taken at Alphonse group 2022.

Bray, D.J. (2022). Fusigobius duospilus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 28 Nov 2023, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1372 (28/11/23)
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. Eds. (2023). FishBase. Fusigobius duospilus. https://fishbase.mnhn.fr/summary/Fusigobius-duospilus.html (28/11/23). 
Hoese, D.F. & Reader, S. (1985). A new Gobiid fish, Fusiogobius duospilus, from the tropical Indo-Pacific. Serial Publication No. 36. J.L.B. Smith Institute of 
Ichthyology. Grahamstown, South Africa. ISSN 0075-2088 
Munroe, T.A. & Greenfield, D. (2016). Fusigobius duospilus. The IUCN Red List 2016: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T193160A2202464.en. (28/11/23).

Nevill, J.E.G., Brighton, E. & Mason-Parker, C. (2023). Fusigobius duospilus, Barenape goby. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/fusigobius-duospilus-hoese-reader-1985/