Springer’s Dwarfgoby

description

Description. Dorsal-fin rays VI- 0,8 (1), VI-I, 8 * (19); anal-fin rays I, 7 * (20); pectoral-fin rays 15 * (11), 16 (9), all unbranched; pelvic-fin rays I, 4 plus a 5 th that is 1 / 10 th (17), 2 / 10 ths * (1), or 3 / 10 ths (1) of the 4 th; branches on 4 th pelvic-fin ray 4 – 6, average 4.6; segments between consecutive branches of the 4 th pelvic-fin ray 2 – 6, average 3.1; pelvic-fin membrane well developed; branched caudal-fin rays 11 * (8); segmented caudal-fin rays 16 (1), 17 * (19); scales highly deciduous, lateral scale rows 21 (1), 22 * (5); transverse scale rows 5 * (3), 6 (1); breast scaleless; precaudal vertebrae 10 (12) plus 15 * (12) caudal, total 25 *. Elongation of spinous dorsal fin uncommon; first and second spines in males may be filamentous, the first spine longest, extending at most to base of fourth ray of second dorsal fin; pelvic fins usually extend to origin of anal fin or beyond. Cephalic sensory pore system pattern 2, lacking the IT pore. Male genital papilla not fimbriate. Measurements (based on holotype and 9 paratypes, 10.5 – 14.2 mm. Values for the holotype first, followed in parentheses by the range of all types and the mean). Head length 29.6 (29.

Two new Gobiid fishes of the genus Eviota from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei: Gobiidae)

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A dark spot at anterior base of first dorsal fin and one medially at end of caudal peduncle; dorsal / anal fin-ray formula 8 / 7; cephalic sensory pore system pattern 2, lacking the IT pore; pectoral-fin rays unbranched; first dorsal fin of male may be elongate; fifth pelvic-fin ray small, one-tenth to three-tenths length of fourth pelvicfin ray.

Two new Gobiid fishes of the genus Eviota from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei: Gobiidae)

distribution

Distribution. Known from four widely distributed localities in the Indian Ocean, the Amirantes, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Chagos Archipelago.

Two new Gobiid fishes of the genus Eviota from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei: Gobiidae)

etymology

Etymology. Named after Victor G. Springer, USNM, who collected a number of the type specimens of this species, as well as many valuable specimens of other Eviota species, thereby contributing greatly to our studies. Comparisons. Eviota springeri belongs to cephalic sensory-pore pattern 2 of Lachner and Karnella (1980), lacking only the IT pore, has a dorsal / anal fin-ray formula of 8 / 7, simple pectoral-fin rays, and the 5 th pelvic-fin ray one-tenth to three-tenths the length of the 4 th pelvic-fin ray (usually one-tenth). The only other Eviota species in this group sharing these characters are E. nigrispina Greenfield & Suzuki, E. rubriceps Greenfield & Jewett, E. storthynx Rofen, and E. ancora Greenfield & Suzuki, all lacking the distinct dark spot at the midbase of the caudal fin present in E. springeri. In addition, E. nigrispina and E. rubriceps both have the scale pockets on the ventral half of the body darkly pigmented, whereas this is not the case in E. springeri. Eviota storthynx also has a dark postocular spot and the caudal fin crossed by dark pigment lines, and E. ancora has five irregular bands of circles of melanophores crossing the caudal fin, all characters lacki

Two new Gobiid fishes of the genus Eviota from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei: Gobiidae)