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| Female Gouania pigra (Nardo, 1827) in the interstitial of pebbles (photo taken in aquarium). (c) Trstenik (Pelješac, Croatia) – a site where G. pigra, G. adriatica sp. nov. and G. hofrichteri sp. nov. were found in sympatry. in Wagner, Kovačić & Koblmüller, 2020 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14558 Photographs by M. Wagner |
Abstract
The clingfish (Gobiesocidae) genus Gouania Nardo, 1833 is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and inhabits, unlike any other vertebrate species in Europe, the harsh intertidal environment of gravel beaches. Following up on a previous phylogenetic study, we revise the diversity and taxonomy of this genus by analysing a comprehensive set of morphological (meristics, morphometrics, microcomputed tomography imaging), geographical and genetic (DNA‐barcoding) data. We provide descriptions of three new species, G. adriatica sp. nov., G. orientalis sp. nov. and G. hofrichteri sp. nov., as well as redescriptions of G. willdenowi (Risso, 1810) and G. pigra (Nardo, 1827) and assign neotypes for the latter two species. In addition to elucidating the complex taxonomic situation of Gouania, we discuss the potential of this enigmatic clingfish genus for further ecological, evolutionary and biodiversity studies that might unravel even more diversity in this unique Mediterranean fish radiation.
Keywords: blunt‐snouted clingfish, cryptobenthic fish, DNA‐barcoding, intertidal, pebble beach
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| FIGURE 1: Geographical distribution ranges and ecology. (a) Distribution ranges of single Gouania species. The data shown are based on genetic, morphological and field observations as well as on historical findings mentioned by Hofrichter (1995) (all his records combined the species in G. willdenowi described here). Type and location of water currents are based on data provided by El‐Geziry and Bryden (2010). Numbers 1–23 indicate sampling sites (compare with Supporting Information Table S1). (b) Female Gouania pigra (Nardo, 1827) in the interstitial of pebbles (photo taken in aquarium). (c) Trstenik (Pelješac, Croatia) – a site where G. pigra, G. adriatica sp. nov. and G. hofrichteri sp. nov. were found in sympatry. Photographs by M. Wagner |
Maximilian Wagner, Marcelo Kovačić and Stephan Koblmüller. 2020. Unravelling the Taxonomy of An Interstitial Fish Radiation: Three New Species of Gouania (Teleostei: Gobiesocidae) from the Mediterranean Sea and Redescriptions of G. willdenowi and G. pigra. Journal of Fish Biology
DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14558
