After reading the article in the Courier Mail, we were very concerned and wanted to know more about the Gobies, so we contacted Professor Bellwood. Here are his answers to our questions:
2M: Why do you think the Gobies have gone missing?
We do not know but I suspect the reef sounds and smells different with the loss of specific corals and as a result young gobies in the plankton (like nemo) can no longer recognize or find home.
2M:Where do you think they went?
They didn't go anywhere the youngsters just failed to find home and were probably eaten while they waited to find a nice spot.
2M: Is there anywhere else that the gobies are missing other than the Great Barrier Reef?
Probably, but there are too few scientists to look - there are only about 10 to 20 goby ecologists in the world.
2M:What do the gobies eat?
They eat detritus (like underwater dust) and small copepods (very small crustacea = shrimp like beasts)
2M: Are there different types of gobies?
Yes hundreds of species but most have yet to be given a scientific name - they are in bottles in museums waiting to be described. In the world we only have about 15 people that understand gobies well enough to describe new species. One of these people is the Emperor of Japan! He works on gobies (I have met him and discussed his love of gobies)
2M: Why are they called gobies?
I really don't know but it is a great name. It probably means tasty in greek.
2M: Who discovered gobies?
They have been known for years. The romans will have known them and even before we could write we will have been pulling them out of holes and eating them. They have been on the earth a lot longer than us.
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