Juvenile development of the lyre goby, Evorthodus lyricus (Girard) (Pisces: Gobiidae), with a discussion of early life history

Juvenile development of the lyre goby, Evorthodus lyricus, is described and illustrated for specimens 8.5–22.3 mm standard length, and early life history is discussed. Specimens were collected primarily from small tidepools constructed on the salt marsh surface (in the growth of smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora) in two Georgia estuaries. Juvenile E. lyricus have distinctive pigmentation patterns at the base of the caudal fin, on and below the first dorsal fin, and on the lateral body, compared with Gobionellus boleosoma and G. shufeldti, which occur with E. lyricus along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the southeastern U.S. Juveniles were captured from early June to early November. Spawning occurs from May–August, with most in July and August. No larval E. lyricus were captured in tidepools. No previous investigations of estuarine ichthyoplankton have reported or described larval E. lyricus, perhaps due to misidentification of E. lyricus as Gobionellus. Juvenile E. lyricus consumed sediment along with associated meiofauna, microalgae, and detritus. Diatoms and detrital aggregates dominated the diet.