A review of the Callogobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the Red Sea with the description of a new species
Author
Delventhal, Naomi R.
Author
Mooi, Randall D.
Author
Bogorodsky, Sergey V.
Author
Mal, Ahmad O.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4179
2
225
243
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4179.2.3
6fc39bea-49f6-4bcb-a07a-6027a4e829d5
1175-5326
261616
A456F585-0F3A-4F98-99CC-795A1A3603C4
Callogobius amikami
Goren, Miroz & Baranes 1991
(
Figure 3
)
Callogobius amikami
Goren, Miroz & Baranes 1991
: 300
(
Eilat
,
Israel
,
Gulf of Aqaba
,
Red Sea
;
holotype
TAU
P-10321).— Goren & Dor 1994: 63;
Randall 1995
: 329
;
Golani & Bogorodsky 2010
: 46
.
Diagnosis.
Callogobius amikami
is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: interorbital pores B’, D, E, F, G and H’ present; preopercular canal absent; temporal canal absent; dorsal fin VI + I,10; anal fin I,8; scales in lateral series about 27; scales ctenoid from the first spine of the second dorsal fin to the caudal-fin base; preopercular papillae row (Row 20) continuous with transverse opercular row (Row 21); body coloration with strongly contrasting wide dark bars and narrow horizontal lines.
Brief description.
Moderately stout-bodied species with slightly elongate and round-tipped caudal fin> 40% SL in length. Scales large, cycloid anteriorly, ctenoid from first spine of second dorsal fin to caudal-fin base, scales in lateral series about 27. Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,10, anal-fin rays I,8, pectoral-fin rays 18; pelvic fins fully united with fifth ray equal to fourth (resulting in blunt-ended appearance), frenum weak. Anterior nostril slightly longer than posterior nostril. Head pores present with interorbital canal normally containing pores B’, D, E, F, G, and H’, preopercular and temporal canals absent. Preopercular papillae row (Row 20) continuous with transverse opercular row (Row 21), more than 10 transverse mandibular papillae rows (Row 16) on each side.
Body of adults pale grey with about nine narrow black stripes following scale rows, short broad black bar dorsally below posterior half of first dorsal fin, a slightly curved black bar below rear of second dorsal fin, and black bar at caudal-fin base. Head whitish with three dark bars radiating from eye, one oblique across side of snout anteriorly to chin, one across cheek and opercle, and one dorsoposteriorly across occiput. Broad irregular oblique black bar from origin of first dorsal fin to upper part of opercle. Two papillae rows on cheek below eye black. Both dorsal fins black, each with broad white dash anteriorly, oblique rows of white spots, and narrow white to hyaline border. Caudal fin with large central brown area crossed by rows of black spots, margin white and broadest dorsoposteriorly. Pectoral fin dark dorsally and basally, white ventrally. Presumed juveniles (see Remarks) white with four narrow black bars on body, one on nape, one dorsally extending into first dorsal fin, one posteriorly extending through anal fin and second dorsal, and one at caudal-fin base; bars in dorsal fins with orange spot; pelvic fin white; pectoral fin mostly white with broad black dorsal and posterior margin with orange submarginal band; caudal fin white with black bar in posterior third with orange bar within it.
Distribution and habitat.
Confirmed only from the
Red Sea
. First reported by
Goren
et al
. (1991)
in the original description of a single specimen (TAU P-10321) from Eilat,
Israel
collected at
6 m
among coral pieces and rocks away from the coral reef. A possible photographic record from
Oman
is discussed below.
Remarks.
Callogobius amikami
is most likely to be confused with
C. dori
. It differs in second dorsal- and anal-fin ray counts (D
2 I
,10 and A I,
8 in
the
holotype
of
C. amikami
vs. D
2 I
,9 and A I,
7 in
C. dori
), and in adult color pattern (distinct vertical bars present vs. absent).
Our measurements and lateral scale counts taken from the
holotype
(
Fig. 3
A) differ slightly from those of
Goren
et al
. (1991)
, who measured the
holotype
at
28.4 mm
SL and counted 24 scales in lateral series. Our shorter SL measurement is likely due to stiffening of the specimen in preservation; our higher lateral scale count can be attributed to uneven scale distribution and individual researcher technique.
Goren
et al
. (1991)
stated that the
holotype
is a male; we found the gender to be ambiguous.
A second specimen of
C. amikami
was photographed by J.E. Randall in 1993 at Coral World in Eilat (
Fig. 3
B). We were unable to determine if the specimen was eventually preserved and added to a collection.
Debelius (1993: 263)
provided a photograph of a single live juvenile
Callogobius
taken in
Muscat
,
Oman
(
Western Indian Ocean
) that he identified as
C. amikami
, but no specimens were taken. The photographed individual displays sharply contrasting narrow bars, with the bars having bright orange central markings on the pectoral, first and second dorsal fins, and caudal fins.
Randall (1995)
followed
Debelius (1993)
in listing
C. amikami
as occurring in
Oman
.
We consider this identification to be uncertain. The color pattern of
C. amikami
differs slightly from the photograph (although some differences would be expected from developmental change); the
holotype
of
C. amikami
has much wider bars and darker fins. The live photograph of the
holotype
in
Goren
et al
. (1991)
does indicate orange on the first dorsal fin, supporting the identification of the
Oman
specimen as C.
amikami
, however, the latter appears to have an anal fin ray count of I,7 (as opposed to I,
8 in
the
holotype
C. amikami
).
The third author collected and photographed a
7.2 mm
juvenile from Al Wajh bank,
Saudi Arabia
(
Fig. 3
C) that resembles the specimen in Debelius’s photograph. This individual was very secretive, hidden inside the base of dead coral in fringing seaward reefs at a depth of
3–
5 m
. Microscopic examination revealed that the lateral scales are not yet fully developed on this specimen and second dorsal- and anal-fin ray counts are I,9 and I,7 respectively, lower than the counts on the
holotype
of
C. amikami
. Instead, these counts match those of
C. dori
, although no tiny juveniles of the latter are known. We are uncertain that this specimen represents
C. amikami
.
Representative
Red Sea
Material
(
2 specimens
, 7.2 &
26.2 mm
SL).
Israel
:
TAU
P-1032,
holotype
, sex uncertain,
26.2 mm
SL
.
Saudi Arabia
:
SMF
35770 (KAU13-142), juvenile (tentative identification),
7.2 mm
SL,
Al Wajh
bank,
N25°35'52.86"
E36°41' 01.80"
, seaward slope of unnamed island, sediment with coral patches,
3–5 m
, coll.
S.V. Bogorodsky
&
T.J. Alpermann
,
12 June 2013
.