 |
| Sueviota aethon Nunes Peinemann, Pombo-Ayora & Tornabene, in Nunes Peinemann, Pombo-Ayora, Tornabene et Berumen, 2024. |
Abstract
A new gobiid species is described from ten specimens, 9.2 – 16.7 mm SL, collected from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. The new species is most similar to Sueviota pyrios from the Gulf of Aqaba in the northern Red Sea. It differs from S. pyrios by having no large red spots on the dorsal and caudal fin elements, no elongate spines in the first dorsal fin, a shorter pelvic fin that does not reach the anus, branched pectoral fin rays, and a projecting lower jaw. The new species is further distinguished from all its congeners by a complete lack of cephalic sensory canals and pores. Specimens were found in small caves and overhangs at depths between 10 and 53 meters.
Key words: Biodiversity, coral reef fish, Gobiidae, identification key, new species, Red Sea, Sueviota, taxonomy
 |
| Specimens of Sueviota aethon sp. nov. a UW 203365, holotype, freshly collected b UW 203367, freshly collected, showing the yellow variation of the species c UW 203365, holotype, preserved in 75% ethanol. |
Sueviota aethon Nunes Peinemann, Pombo-Ayora & Tornabene, sp. nov.
Grumpy dwarfgoby
Diagnosis: This is a species of Sueviota characterized by the following combination of characters: no cephalic sensory-canal pores; dorsal fin VI-I,8, or I,9, without filamentous spines; anal fin I,7 or I,8; pelvic fin I,5, rays 1 – 4 branched, fifth ray unbranched or with two branches, elongate (77–88% of fourth) and flattened towards the tips if unbranched, fourth ray longest; well-developed pelvic fin membrane fully joining fifth pelvic fin rays, frenum absent; 14 or 15 pectoral fin rays, some branched; body robust and deep, anterior slope of snout nearly vertical giving the head a blunt profile, terminal mouth inclined vertically forming a 72° angle to horizontal body axis.
Etymology: The specific epithet stems from the ancient Greek Aethon, one of the four horses of the sun god Helios. The most similar species to S. aethon, Sueviota pyrios Greenfield & Randall, 2017, is named after a different horse of Helios. The specific name is a noun in apposition. The common name, Grumpy dwarfgoby, refers to the fish’s apparent grumpy and rather unhappy appearance, primarily due to the extremely upturned mouth position.
Viktor Nunes Peinemann, Lucía Pombo-Ayora, Luke Tornabene, Michael L. Berumen. 2024. The Grumpy Dwarfgoby, A New Species of Sueviota (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the Red Sea. ZooKeys. 1212: 17-28. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1212.121135
