Myersina

Lore & Background

The genus Myersina was named in honor of the American ichthyologist George S. Myers (1905-1985), who was a younger colleague of Herre's at the time the genus was described. Myers later became president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, head of the Division of Fishes at the United States National Museum, and an ichthyologist for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

The genus currently contains nine recognized species, including the Adonis shrimpgoby (Myersina adonis), the Yellow-spotted shrimpgoby (Myersina crocata), and the Filamentous shrimpgoby (Myersina filifer). Other species include Myersina balteata, Myersina lachneri, Myersina macrostoma, Myersina nigrivirgata, Myersina papuana, Myersina pretoriusi, and Myersina yangii.

These gobies are distributed across a wide geographic range, from the Atlantic coast of South Africa through the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean, reflecting their adaptation to tropical and subtropical marine environments.

Reader's Guide

The genus Myersina represents a group of gobies within the family Gobiidae, notable for its geographic distribution spanning from the Atlantic coast of South Africa through the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean. The genus was named after George S. Myers, an American ichthyologist who was a younger colleague of Herre's at the time of the genus's description. Myers's subsequent career included serving as president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, head of the Division of Fishes at the United States National Museum, and an ichthyologist for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

The nine recognized species include several with common names reflecting their appearance or behavior, such as the Adonis shrimpgoby, Yellow-spotted shrimpgoby, Filamentous shrimpgoby, Lachner's shrimpgoby, Bigmouth shrimpgoby, Black-line shrimp-goby, and Pondoland sailfin goby. The species were described by various authors between 1837 and 2018, indicating ongoing taxonomic work within the genus. The genus's significance lies in its representation of gobiid diversity across a broad Indo-Pacific range, with species occupying different ecological niches from the African Atlantic coast to the western Pacific.

Did You Know?

• The genus Myersina is named after American ichthyologist George S. Myers (1905-1985).
• There are currently nine recognized species in the genus Myersina.