A new Haptoclinus blenny (Teleostei, Labrisomidae) from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, with comments on relationships of the genus

Ross Robertson,Carole Baldwin

doi:10.3897/zookeys.306.5198

Abstract

A second species of the blenniiform genus Haptoclinus is described from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean. Haptoclinus dropi sp. n. differs from the northwestern Caribbean Haptoclinus apectolophus Böhlke and Robins, 1974, in having 29 total dorsal-fin elements—III-I-XIII, 12 (vs. 31—III-I-XIV, 13 or III-I-XIII, 14); 19 anal-fin soft rays (vs. 20-21); 12 pectoral-fin rays (vs. 13); 12 precaudal vertebrae (vs. 13); and the first dorsal-fin spine longer than the second (vs. the second longer than the first). It further differs from Haptoclinus apectolophus in lacking scales (vs. three-quarters of body densely scaled), in having a distinctive pattern of spotting on the trunk and fins in preservative (vs. no spotting), and in lacking a fleshy flap on the anterior rim of the posterior nostril (vs. flap present). Color in life is unknown for Haptoclinus apectolophus, and the color description presented for the new species constitutes the first color information for the genus. Familial placement of Haptoclinus remains questionable, but the limited relevant information obtained from morphological examination of the new species provides additional support for a close relationship with the Chaenopsidae. Haptoclinus dropi represents one of numerous new teleost species emerging from sampling to 300 m off Curaçao as part of the Smithsonian Institution’s Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP).

Highlights

Diving to 300 m off Curaçao in the southern Caribbean using Substation Curaçao’s manned submersible Curasub is expanding our knowledge of the deep-reef Caribbean fish fauna
The new species is similar to H. apectolophus in having the dorsal fin consisting of four parts and represents a southern range extension for the genus of 9o latitude and an eastern range extension of 17o longitude
In this paper we describe the new species, compare it with H. apectolophus, and comment on the familial placement of Haptoclinus

Summary

Introduction

Diving to 300 m off Curaçao in the southern Caribbean using Substation Curaçao’s (http://www.substation-Curacao.com) manned submersible Curasub is expanding our knowledge of the deep-reef Caribbean fish fauna. Targeted fish specimens are collected with the sub’s two flexible, hydraulic arms, one of which is equipped with a quinaldineejection system and the other with a suction hose. Small, inconspicuous, non-targeted fishes are collected along with the target specimens. One bycatch specimen collected between 157 and 167 m represents a new species and the second known species referable to the blenniiform genus Haptoclinus Böhlke and Robins, 1974. Haptoclinus apectolophus Böhlke and Robins, 1974 was described based on two specimens that were trawled from depths of 174−366 m at Arrowsmith Bank in the northwestern Caribbean. The new species is similar to H. apectolophus in having the dorsal fin consisting of four parts (three spinous, one soft) and represents a southern range extension for the genus of 9o latitude and an eastern range extension of 17o longitude. In this paper we describe the new species, compare it with H. apectolophus, and comment on the familial placement of Haptoclinus

Methods

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Conclusion