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| Bathygobius mero Allen, Erdmann & Ishida, 2024 |
A new species of goby, Bathygobius mero, is described from eastern Bali, Indonesia on the basis of 8 adult specimens, 26.3–36.0 mm SL. There are also photographic records from Sumba, Indonesia, Cebu, Philippines, and Queensland, Australia. Diagnostic features include 19–21 (usually 20) pectoral-fin rays with the upper three rays free from the membranous portion of the fin and each with two filamentous tips, a mostly scaleless predorsal midline except for two or three scales in front of first dorsal-fin origin, and 33 or 34 lateral scales. The live coloration is overall pale greyish with a dense covering of reddish-brown freckles, a brown spot (about one third of pupil size) at the uppermost part of the gill opening, and reddish-brown spotting on the fins. The new species has a commensal association with the large barrel sponge (Xestospongia testudinaria), unlike other members of the genus, which are typically free-living bottom dwellers. It also inhabits deeper water (9–30 m, but usually below about 15 m) than most Bathygobius, which are mainly confined to shallow water less than 10 m deep.
Key words: taxonomy, ichthyology, systematics, coral-reef fishes, gobies, tropical western Pacific Ocean, Indo-Pacific, commensal.
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| Bathygobius mero, n. sp., approximately 35 mm SL, on surface of barrel sponge (Xestospongia testudinaria), Bali, Indonesia. (photos: C. Waldrich) |
Bathygobius mero, n. sp.
Etymology. The new species is named mero with reference to the MERO Foundation (Indonesian Marine
Education and Research Organisation, Tulamben, Bali) for their generous sponsorship of this study. The name is
treated as a noun in apposition.
Allen, Gerald R., Erdmann, Mark and Ishida, Nesha. 2024. A New Sponge-dwelling Goby (Gobiidae: Bathygobius) from Indonesia, Philippines, and Australia. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. 41, 46–53. https://oceansciencefoundation.org/josf.html
https://zenodo.org/records/14003729
