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| Rypticus africanus Araujo, Sampaio, Rocha & Ferreira, 2025 |
Abstract
A new species of the soapfish genus Rypticus is described based on 14 specimens from the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The new species was previously misidentified as the greater soapfish, R. saponaceus, due to their similar appearance. However, it differs from R. saponaceus in several key characteristics, including a comparatively shorter head, snout and upper jaw, and a deeper body. Molecular data, obtained from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene, strongly suggest the monophyly of the new species and support its description as new.
Keywords: Biogeography, cryptic species, DNA barcode, Gulf of Guinea, Isthmus of Panama, reef fish
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| (a–c) Rypticus africanus from São Tomé and Príncipe, illustrating the variation in colour pattern between individuals: (a) São Tomé Island, (b, c) Príncipe Island and (d) R. saponaceus from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, shown for comparison. |
Rypticus africanus Araujo, Sampaio, Rocha & Ferreira, new species
English proposed common name: African soapfish.
Portuguese (São Tome and Príncipe) proposed common name: Peixe sabão africano.
Diagnosis: A species of Rypticus distinguished from its congeners by the following unique combination of characters: dorsal-fin spines always three vs. two/typically two in Rypticus bistrispinus (Mitchill 1818), Rypticus bornoi Beebe & Tee-Van 1928, Rypticus courtenayi McCarthy 1979, Rypticus maculatus Holbrook 1855, and R. nigripinnis, and almost always four in Rypticus carpenteri Baldwin & Weigt, 2012; head length 30.0%–35.3% of SL (average 33.5%) vs. 35.0%–39% (average 36.88%) in R. bicolor; body depth 34.2%–40.5% of SL (average 36.2%) vs. 26%–34% (average 30.0%) in Rypticus randalli Courtenay, 1967; body brown to dark grey, with the head and sides displaying numerous or sparse pale, spots of variable size vs. lighter background coloration with several widely scattered small dark spots; head shorter than body depth vs. head larger than body depth in R. saponaceus.
Etymology: The specific name africanus is given for the known distribution of the new species and its probable widespread distribution off the coast of west Africa.
Gabriel Soares Araujo, Cláudio L. S. Sampaio, Luiz A. Rocha and Carlos Eduardo Ferreira Leite. 2025. Integrative Taxonomy reveals A New Species of the Soapfish Genus Rypticus (Teleostei: Grammistidae) from the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Fish Biology. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70132 [21 July 2025]
