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| Gobiodon spadix Sato & Motomura, 2024 |
Abstract
Gobiodon spadix sp. nov. is described on the basis of 37 specimens from Kyushu, and the Osumi and Tokara Islands, southern Japan. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays VI-I, 9–11 (modally 9); anal-fin rays I, 8 or 9 (8); pectoral-fin rays 19–21 (20); body depth at pelvic-fin origin 32.4–38.3% (mean 36.0%) of standard length; distance between first dorsal-fin origin to dorsal-most point of pectoral-fin base 50.4–64.8% (55.2%) of head length (HL); pectoral fin relatively long, its length 90.6–112.5% (100.8%) of HL; groove between isthmus and interopercle absent; body uniformly reddish-brown; coloration of all fins darker than that of body; and five narrow vertical bluish stripes on lateral surface of head. The new species is currently known from southern Japan, Papua New Guinea, and northeastern Australia.
Keywords: Taxonomy, Coral reefs, Gobiodon quinquestrigatus, Gobiodon bilineatus, Acropora
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| Holotype of Gobiodon spadix sp. nov. (KAUM–I. 185291, 31.3 mm SL, Satsuma Peninsula, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan). a–c Fresh specimen; d living specimen with host coral (Acropora solitaryensis); e preserved specimen. a, d, e Lateral, b dorsal, and c ventral views |
Gobiodon spadix sp. nov.
(New English name: Akane Coral Goby;
new standard Japanese name: Akane-kobanhaze)
Etymology. The specific name “spadix” is derived from Latin meaning “reddish-brown”, in reference to the ground coloration of the head and body.
Masayuki C. Sato and Hiroyuki Motomura. 2024. Gobiodon spadix, A New Coral Goby (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from southern Japan. Ichthyological Research. 71; 422–431. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s10228-024-00950-8
