Eucyclogobius kristinae (Southern Tidewater Goby)
Credit: Brenton Spies
about the species
The southern tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius kristinae (Family, Gobionellidae) is a small (<62mm) annual fish species endemic to California. This benthic associated species inhabits shallow, brackish water estuaries and lagoons exclusively on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendelton in San Diego County. This species has been recently described as a separate, and unequivocally endangered, distinct species in the genus Eucyclogobius that is currently being managed as E. newberryi.
why species was selected
The southern tidewater goby has the characteristics of a critically endangered species: it has been reduced from nine to four lagoonal populations since 2010, only three of which are currently considered stable. This drastic decline is likely due to a variety of factors such as introduction of non-natives, fire debris runoff into lagoons, and repeated drought conditions causing some systems to completely desiccate.
