A new species of Egglestonichthys (Teleostei, Gobiiformes, Gobiidae) from Okinawa Island, Japan.

Hiroyuki Motomura,Toshiyuki Suzuki,Kyoji Fujiwara

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1006.58874

Abstract

Egglestonichthys fulmensp. nov. (Teleostei: Gobiidae) is described on the basis of a single specimen (21.7 mm in standard length) collected from 250 m depth off Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: anal-fin rays I, 9; pectoral-fin rays 17, lower rays not free from membrane; longitudinal scale series 25; transverse scales 8; pre-dorsal-fin scale rows 8; cheek and opercle naked; pelvic frenum absent; caudal fin lanceolate, its length 32.2% of SL; interorbital width very narrow, 1.2% of HL (much narrower than pupil diameter); no spicules or odontoid processes on outer surface of gill arches; and body whitish, upper half with broken zigzag pattern of bright yellow patches and associated scattered black melanophores in fresh specimens (melanophores retained in preserved specimens). Several characters, including pectoral-fin ray count, interorbital width, and coloration uniquely distinguish the new species from congeners.

Highlights

On 19 September 2018, an unidentified goby was collected by basket trap from 250 m depth off Okinawa Island, Japan, and subsequently identified as a species of Egglestonichthys Miller & Wongrat, 1979
Additional Japanese specimens could not be collected due to the difficulty of collecting small, benthic fishes from deeper coastal areas, the present specimen was quite distinct from other congeners in meristics, morphometrics, and coloration, and is here formally described as a new species
Comparative data for species of Egglestonichthys were taken from Larson and Hoese (1997) [E. bombylios and E. melanoptera], Winterbottom and Burridge (1992) [E. patriciae], Larson (2013) [E. ulbubunitj], and Allen et al (2020) [E. rubidus]

Summary

Introduction

On 19 September 2018, an unidentified goby was collected by basket trap from 250 m depth off Okinawa Island, Japan, and subsequently identified as a species of Egglestonichthys Miller & Wongrat, 1979.

Results

Conclusion