Rhinogobius flumineus
Rhinogobius flumineus, commonly known as the lizard goby or kawa-yoshinobori, is a species of goby endemic to Japan where it is found in the mid- to upper reaches of fast-flowing rivers. This species can reach a length of TL. Taxonomy and evolution This fish was first described in 1960 by the Japanese ichthyologist Nobuhiko Mizuno who gave it the name Tukugobius flumineus. It was later transferred to the genus Rhinogobius, becoming Rhinogobius flumineus. The name comes from the Greek, "rhinos", meaning nose, and the Latin, "gobius", meaning gudgeon; the specific name comes from the Latin "flumen" meaning river. This fish is commonly known as the "lizard goby" or in Japanese as "kawa-yoshinobori". Rhinogobius flumineus seems to have evolved from Rhinogobius brunneus to which it is morphologically very similar. There is a trend for fish in the genus Rhinogobius to move from marine to freshwater habitats as they evolve, and R. brunneus is amphidromous (migratory) while R. flumineus inhabits land-locked river basins. Distribution and habitat R. flumineus is endemic to Japan where it is found in riffles and swiftly-flowing mountain streams and small rivers. Its range extends from Shizuoka Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture in Honshu to the westward tip of the