Common names:

* proposed name

Synonyms:

*In: Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1837

Etymology:
'Pseudapocryptes' comes from the Greek 'pseudo' (false), and 'Apocryptes' which refers to the similarity to the other oxudercine genus

'elongatus' in Latin means elongated, which refers to the eely shape of this fish

Maximum recorded length:
187 mm SL (Murdy, 1989)
200 mm TL (Rainboth, 1996)

Live colouration (Murdy, 1989, pers. obs.: Peninsular Malaysia, southern Viet Nam):
colouration variable: ground colour dorsally yellowish to pale brown to reddish brown, ventrally white, with no pigmentation on venter around the anal fin in smaller individuals; 6-8 dark brown diagonal saddle-like bars are frequently visible on flanks and dorsum; tiny brown speckles may be present on dorsum; D1 translucent; D2 transparent with tiny brown spots on rays and brown blotches basally and posteriorly in some individuals; caudal fin yellowish to brownish with many brown speckles that can coalesce in wavy, broken lines; anal, pectoral and pelvic fins translucent to yellowish to orange

Colouration on preservation (Murdy, 1989, pers. obs.):
ground colour pale brown dorsally, yellow brown ventrally; dusky spots, bars and blotches may be retained in recently preserved specimens; large dark brown blotches and bars on caudal peduncle and dark brown blotches on head frequently retained, especially in smaller specimens (<100 mm SL); dorsal fins sometimes retain some dusky spots; all other fins, except caudal, mostly transparent; patterns on caudal fin frequently retained

Diagnosis (Murdy, 1989):
total anal fin elements 28-31; body depth 9.9-13.6%SL; head length 14.8-22.0%SL; head depth 7.8-11.4%SL; pectoral fin length 10.4-13.4%SL; pelvic fin length 9.0-11.5%SL; according to Murdy (1989) only few brown spots are present on the body.
The genus is characterised by a longitudinal scale count of more than 150 scales

Diet:
benthic feeder, prevalently herbivorous (diatoms, cyanobacteria); it also feeds on small invertebrates (Swennen et al., 1995; Bucholtz & Meilvang, 2005)

Reproduction:
its life cycle follows the general model proposed for all oxudercine gobies: after a planktonic stage, the larvae enter the intertidal zone from the sea, invading creeks and inlets; spawning occurs during the end of the dry season and at the beginning of the rainy season: adults probably look for deeper waters to spawn, migrating from creeks to open mud flats (Bucholtz & Meilvang, 2005; see also Reproductive behaviour)

Ecological notes (pers. obs.: Peninsular Malaysia, southern Viet Nam):
adults locally abundant on lower mudflats and in the deeper creeks; young and subadults abundant within the creek and inlet systems of mangrove forests (Bucholtz & Meilvang, 2005; pers. obs.); according to some authors this species can aestivate inside deep burrows during the dry season (Hora, 1937 in Murdy, 1989)

left: Kuala Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia: an artificial bund channel separates the mangrove forest from plantations or, as in this case, from secondary forest; here young and subadults of Ps. elongatus are abundant

right: Kukup town: an artificial dike connected to a small mangrove forest: even here juveniles and adults are abundant

(photo: G. Polgar, 1996)

Distribution:
from the east coasts of India to South East Asia; its presence is not confirmed in China and Japan; type locality: Tranquebar, India (Murdy, 1989)

Remarks:
the discrimination between Ps. elongatus and the congeneric Ps. borneensis is mainly based on colouration, but several colouration patterns with intermediate states can be found in nature (pers. obs.).
Murdy (1989) revised this species as Ps. lanceolatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801); the name Ps. elongatus (Cuvier, 1816) is used after Ferraris (1995).
Ps. elongatus is extensively farmed in India and Southern Viet Nam, where it is largely consumed (Bucholtz & Meilvang, 2005; fishbase)

Photographs of Pseudapocryptes elongatus:

A: Ps. elongatus at low tide in a shallow pool on the higher mudflat (photo: G. Polgar, Kukup Jetty, Peninsular Malaysia, 2007); B-D: close-ups of P. elongatus in aquarium (photos: G. Polgar, Kuala Lumpur, 2006); E: dissection: uncoiled gut of Ps. elongatus (photo in Bucholtz & Meilvang, 2005)*; F: juvenile of Ps. elongatus in aquarium (photo: G. Polgar, Kuala Lumpur, 2006); G: Ps. elongatus sold at the fish market of Can Tho, Viet Nam (photo in Bucholtz & Meilvang, 2005)*; H: Ps. elongatus in aquarium in a restaurant (photo: G. Polgar, Can Tho, Viet Nam, 2006); I: Ps. elongatus roasted with veggies (photo: G. Polgar, Can Tho, Viet Nam, 2006); J: a juvenile found inside an artificial dike (photo: G. Polgar, Kukup town, Peninsular Malaysia, 2007) - * with permission

Drawings of Pseudapocryptes elongatus:

left: from Koumans, 1953 (fishbase); right: cephalic sensory and nasal pores of Pseudapocryptes spp.: an= anterior nostril; ao= anterior oculoscapular canal pore; pn= posterior nostril (modified from Murdy, 1989)* - * with permission