28. Favonigobius melanobranchus (Fowler, 1934) ―Blackthroat Goby― Native

Taxonomy. Original description: Rhinogobius melanobranchus Fowler, 1934:82, figs. 24-25 [Den Pasar, southern Bali, Indonesia; Holotype (unique): ANSP 56333]. Synonyms: Rhinogobius melanobranchus Fowler, 1934; Rhinogobius atribranchiostegus B̂hlke, 1984; Silhouettea chaimi Goren, 1978; Papillogobius melanobranchus (Fowler, 1934).

Status in the Arabian Peninsula. First record from Oman by Freyhof et al. (2020); confirmed by Esmaeili et al. (2022).

General distribution. Red Sea; Indo-West Pacific: KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), East Africa, Persian Gulf and Seychelles east to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, north to Amami Islands (southern Japan), south to northern Australia. Eastern Mediterrranean Sea immigrant. Habitat: marine.

Distribution in the Arabian Peninsula. Oman: Sur (see Freyhof et al. 2020).

Economic importance. No commercial importance.

Conservation. Near Threatened (NT).

Remarks. The Blackthroat Goby is found in the estuaries and is occasionally accidently trapped in freshwaters.