New distributional records of four amphidromous gobies (Gobioidei: Sicydiinae) in continental Vietnam

Short-steep-coastal-streams of the tropical Indo-Pacific region are largely dominated by faunal assemblages of diadromous fish, crustacean and mollusc species. These streams are inherently difficult to survey owing to their characteristic dense vegetation, steep terrain and shallow riffle-run-pool sequences. In this study, we document the first records of four sicydiine species (Sicyopterus lagocephalus, Sicyopus zosterophorus, Stiphodon atropurpureus, and Stiphodon percnopterygionus) from snorkel-based surveys in five streams near Da Nang in central Vietnam. Specimens were preserved and identified to validate field-based identifications. Here we discuss the implications of these new records for conservation planning in Vietnam and for understanding the biogeography of sicydiine gobies in the Indo-Pacific region.