Records of two gobiid species, Awaous melanocephalus and Awaous ocellaris, from Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Two tropical/subtropical species of the family Gobiidae, Awaous melanocephalus (Bleeker, 1849) and Awaous ocellaris (Broussonet, 1782), were collected from the Ikejiri River, Atsumi Peninsula, Aichi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. These specimens represent the first records of these species in the prefecture. Their presence is likely due to the incidental transport of larvae by the Kuroshio Current, which approached the coast of the Atsumi Peninsula from April to July 2023, associated with the Kuroshio large meander.