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| Cylix nkosi Short, Smith, Harasti & Claassens, 2024 |
Abstract
Cylix nkosi, new species, of the formerly monotypic pygmy pipehorse genus Cylix, is described on the basis of the female holotype and the male paratype collected between 14–50 m over inshore warm-tropical coral reefs from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The new taxon possesses derived characters consistent with the diagnosis of the type species Cylix tupareomanaia from Aotearoa New Zealand, including a prominent supraoccipital bone bearing a highly derived bony protuberance and the presence of distinct midventral head spines. The new species is distinguished from its congener primarily by the distinct shapes of the supraoccipital protuberance, midventral head spines, and the dorsomedial crest-like ridge on the first trunk ridge. Cylix nkosi, new species, can be further differentiated by genetic divergence in the mitochondrial COI gene from C. tupareomanaia and the morphologically similar members of the Indo-Pacific pygmy pipehorse genera Acentronura and Idiotropiscis (estimated uncorrected p-distances of 10.0% C. tupareomanaia, 16.6% A. breviperula, 20.6% A. tentaculata, 18.1% I. australe, and 18.8% I. lumnitzeri, respectively). Cylix nkosi, new species, is the first confirmed record of the genus in South Africa and the African continent. In addition, the occurrence of C. nkosi, new species, in the western Indian Ocean represents a substantial expansion of the geographical distribution of the genus beyond its original type locality in New Zealand.
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| Lateral view of the head of Cylix nkosi, SAMC F041935, female, holotype, highlighting positions of diagnostic characters, including the supraoccipital protuberance and medioventral conical spines on the cleithral symphysis and the first trunk ring between the pectoral-fin bases. Abbreviations: CS, cleithral spines; CSS, medioventral spine on the cleithral symphysis; DHS, double head spine; FS, frontal spine; FTRC, first trunk ring crest; LHS, lateral head spine; MVFTRS, medioventral spine on first trunk ring between the pectoral-fin bases; ORE, orbital rim extension; PLS, posterolateral spine on pectoral-fin base; SnS, snout spines; SP, supraoccipital protuberance. Scale bar = 5 mm. |
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| Cylix nkosi in situ, SAMC F041935, female, holotype, 45.9 mm SL, 2 Mile Reef, Sodwana Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 22 m depth. (A) Lateral view of the body. (B) Anterolateral view of the head highlighting the diamond-shaped supraoccipital protuberance pair on the head. Abbreviation: SP, supraoccipital protuberance. Photographs by Richard Smith. |
Cylix nkosi, new species
Common Name: Sodwana Pygmy Pipehorse
Diagnosis.—Cylix nkosi differs from C. tupareomanaia in possessing a supraoccipital bone bearing a highly derived and distinct diamond-shaped bony protuberance (SP; vs. cup-like bony protuberance; Table 3) oriented anteriorly, rhombus-shaped in anterodorsal view, divided transversally into two sections by a ridge; knob-shaped midventral spine (CSS; vs. udder-shaped bony protuberance; Table 3) on the cleithral symphysis; blunt midventral spine (MVFTRS; vs. conical midventral spine; Table 3) on the first trunk ring between the pectoral-fin bases; thick dorsomedial crest-like ridge (FTRC; vs. thin and rugose crest-like ...
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| Cylix nkosi in situ, 2 Mile Reef, Sodwana Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 22 m depth: (A) male, pregnant, red coloration; (B) male, pregnant, yellow coloration; (C) female, brown coloration; (D) female, brown coloration. Photographs © Christo van Jaarsveld (SeaXplore), used with permission. |
Etymology.—The species epithet is derived from the Nguni or Zulu term for chief due to the crown-like nature of the highly derived bony protuberance on the supraoccipital bone. A noun in the genitive. New English Names: Sodwana Pygmy Pipehorse is proposed here for Cylix nkosi.
Graham Short, Richard Smith, David Harasti and Louw Claassens. 2024. A New Record and Species of Pygmy Pipehorse of the Genus Cylix (Teleostei, Syngnathidae) from South Africa and the African Continent. Ichthyology & Herpetology. 112(3):315-327. DOI: doi.org/10.1643/i2023053
