Eviota hoesei, Gill & Jewett, 2004

Gill, Anthony C. & Jewett, Susan L., 2004, Eviota hoesei and E. readerae, New Species of Fish from the Southwest Pacific, With Comments on the Identity of E. corneliae Fricke (Perciformes: Gobiidae), Records of the Australian Museum 56 (2), pp. 235-240 : 236-238

Eviota hoesei n.sp.

Figs. 1, 2

Eviota sp. cf. afelei .— Allen et al., 1976: 430 (Lord Howe Island). Eviota n.sp. C.—Gill & Reader, 1992: 222 (Elizabeth and

Middleton Reefs).

Type material. HOLOTYPE: AMS I.17367-004, 19.7 mm SL, Lord Howe Island , south lagoon reef crest, 31°32'S 159°04'E, 2–3 m, derris dust, D.F. Hoese, February 1973 . PARATYPES: AMNH 211351 , 5 : 12.2–18.3 mm SL, collected with holotype; AMS I.17367-019, 63: 11.7–18.9 mm SL, collected with holotype; AMS I.20271-027, 3: 14.4–15.2 mm SL, Norfolk Island, Bumbora Beach , 29°04'S 167°56'E, tidepools containing algae, rock, sand and small amount of coral, rotenone, D.F. Hoese & H.K. Larson, 22 September 1975 ; AMS I.27137-011, 6: 12.9–13.9 mm SL, Middleton Reef , 29°27.5'S 159°04.2'E, lagoon patch reef, 2.5 m, rotenone, A.C. Gill et al., 5 December 1987 ; AMS I.27156- 043, 2: 15.0– 19.5 mm SL, Elizabeth Reef , 29°56.5'S 159°01.87'E, lagoon patch reef, 2–2.5 m, rotenone, A.C. Gill et al., 14 December 1987 ; ANSP 178731 , 5 : 12.8–17.9 mm SL, collected with holotype ; BMNH 2003.1.22.2–6, 5: 14.6–18.1 mm SL, collected with holotype ; BPBM 14951 , 2 : 15.6–16.5 mm SL, Lord Howe Island , southern lagoon, south of Salmon Beach, coral and sand, 2 m, rotenone, D.F. Hoese, 9 February 1973 ; BPBM 17572 , 6 : 9.5–16.8 mm SL, Lord Howe Island , southeast end of Middle Beach, rocky shore, 0–3 m, rotenone, D.F. Hoese et al., 11–15 February 1973 ; CAS 217049 , 5 : 12.4–19.1 mm SL, collected with holotype ; USNM 228319 , 20.5 mm SL, Lord Howe Island , Sylph Hole, 2–4 m, Australian Museum party, 5 February 1973 ; USNM 228320 , 3 : 8.5–18.7 mm SL, Lord Howe Island , King’s Beach, 31°32'S 159°04'E, 2 m, quinaldine, D.F. Hoese, 6 February 1973 ; USNM 228321 , 11 : 12.0– 18.9 mm SL, Lord Howe Island , south side of north passage, 31°32'S 159°04'E, lagoon reef, 2 m, derris dust, D.F. Hoese & G . R. Allen , 17 February 1973 ; USNM 228322 , 14.0 mm SL, Lord Howe Island , south part of lagoon, 31°32'S 159°04'E, rock and algae, 3–6 m, derris dust, D.F. Hoese et al., 7 February 1973 ; USNM 228323 , 1 : 17.9 mm SL, collected with USNM 228321 ; USNM 324929 , 3 : 11.3–15.9 mm SL, New Caledonia, Noumea , Pointe Cluxel, 22°18'30"S 166°27'24"E, shallow patch reef with rubble at base, 0.5–2 m, J . T. Williams & G. Mou Tham, 7 November 1991 .

Diagnosis. The following combination of characters distinguishes E. hoesei from congeners: dorsal-fin rays usually VI + I,9; anal-fin rays usually I,8; at least some pectoral-fin rays branched; cephalic sensory-pore system pattern 2; base of pectoral fin with two diffuse to prominent dark spots; fifth segmented pelvic-fin ray present, usually about 1/10 length of fourth ray; and 6 subcutaneous bars/ spots on lower postanal trunk.

Description. Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,8(4), VI + I,9(42); analfin rays I,7(4), I,8(43); pectoral-fin rays 16(17), 17(30); pectoral-fin rays 8 through 17 may be branched, 11 through 15 always branched; pelvic-fin rays I,4 plus rudiment (7), I,4 1/10(40); branches on fourth segmented pelvic-fin ray 7–15, averaging 10.6; segments between consecutive branches of fourth segmented pelvic-fin ray 0–3, averaging 1.2; pelvic-fin membrane reduced; branched caudal-fin rays 12(4), 13(5), 14(9); segmented caudal-fin rays 17(43); lateral scale rows 23(1), 24(16), 25(23), 26(2); transverse scale rows 6(30), 7(9); breast scaleless; vertebrae 10(13) precaudal plus 16(13) caudal, total 26.

First two dorsal-fin spines in males may be filamentous, first longest, maximum extension to just behind end of second dorsal-fin base; females without filamentous spines. Pelvic fin usually reaches to anal fin, maximum length to about middle of anal-fin base. Cephalic sensory-pore system pattern 2; superficial neuromast (cutaneous papillae) system pattern B. Male genital papilla non-fimbriate.

Preserved coloration. Head dorsally either pale or with scattered brown speckles; head laterally with scattered brown speckles, sometimes with clusters of brown chromatophores; lips thinly margined with chromatophores; pectoral-fin base with two diffuse or distinct dark spots, occasionally with spots merging to form single spot, often with additional dusky pigmentation above and below spots (which forms additional spot in occasional specimens); dorsal trunk midline unpigmented; trunk with dark crescentshaped marks at scale pockets, usually darker ventrally; belly with 2–3 broad indistinct subcutaneous dusky patches; 6 subcutaneous bars/spots on lower postanal trunk, although last one or two bars may be indistinct in small specimens; subcutaneous bars on upper postanal trunk obscure, although 5 indistinct dusky bars may be present near midside, last through caudal spot; large round to oval or rectangular dark spot on mid-caudal peduncle, all or mostly subcutaneous; first dorsal fin uniformly moderate to dark dusky, sometimes abruptly paler on base; second dorsal fin light to moderate dusky; anal fin similar to first dorsal, sometimes darker; caudal fin light to dark dusky or pale, with or without alternating dark and light spots on rays, usually paler basally; pectoral and pelvic fins pale.

Live coloration. Not recorded in detail. Allen et al. (1976) noted, however, that E. hoesei specimens collected from shallow water were green, whereas those from deeper water (below about 18 m) were red.

Etymology. The specific epithet is for our friend and colleague Douglass F. Hoese, in recognition of his important contributions to the systematics of gobioid fishes.

Comparisons. Eviota hoesei is a member of Lachner & Karnella’s (1980) Group II species-group, which is diagnosed by the following: cephalic sensory-pore system pattern 2 (NA, AITO, PITO, SOT, AOT and POP pores present, IT pore absent); vertebrae usually 26; some pectoral-fin rays branched; pelvic-fin membranes joining first four segmented rays reduced; and fifth segmented pelvic-fin ray absent or very short. Eleven other species were assigned to Group II by Lachner & Karnella (Lachner & Karnella, 1980; Jewett & Lachner, 1983): E. afelei Jordan & Seale (1906), E. bimaculata Lachner & Karnella (1980) , E. indica Lachner & Karnella (1980) , E. japonica Jewett & Lachner (1983) , E. latifasciata Jewett & Lachner (1983) , E. prasina ( Klunzinger, 1871) , P. punctulata Jewett & Lachner (1983) , E. queenslandica Whitley (1932) , E. saipanensis Fowler (1945) , E. variola Lachner & Karnella (1980) , and E. zonura Jordan & Seale (1906). Eviota hoesei differs from these species in the following: fifth segmented pelvic-fin ray usually 1/10 length of fourth segmented ray (usually rudimentary or absent in E. latifasciata , E. prasina , E. saipanensis , E. variola and E. zonura ); second dorsalfin rays modally I,9 (modally I, 8 in E. indica and E. latifasciata , and modally I, 10 in E. variola ); anal-fin rays modally I,8 (modally I, 9 in E. variola ); pectoral-fin rays usually 17 (with strong modes of 15 in E. indica , and 16 in E. japonica , E. punctulata and E. zonura ); first two dorsalfin spines filamentous in males (none filamentous in E. indica and E. latifasciata ; first spine rarely filamentous in E. punctulata ); male genital papilla non-fimbriate (fimbriate in E. prasina , E. variola and E. zonura , and cup-shaped in E. saipanensis ); two diffuse to prominent dark spots on the pectoral-fin base (two prominent spots otherwise present only in E. japonica and E. queenslandica , although weak spots may be present in E. prasina , E. variola and E. zonura ); no prominent dark spots on the occipital region (dark spots present in E. bimaculata , E. japonica , E. prasina , E. punctulata , E. queenslandica and E. variola ); first dorsal fin either uniformly dusky, or dusky with pale base (mostly pale in E. indica and E. latifasciata ; at least first spine usually with dark spots in E. punctulata , E. queenslandica , E. bimaculata and E. variola ); subcutaneous bars on upper posterior trunk obscure (4 in E. latifasciata , E. queenslandica , E. saipanensis and E. zonura , 4–5 in E. prasina , 5 in E. bimaculata , E. indica , E. japonica and E. variola , and 7–9 in E. afelei ); subcutaneous bars/spots on lower posterior trunk 6 (4 in E. saipanensis and E. latifasciata , and 5 in E. prasina , E. queenslandica , E. variola and E. zonura ); and dark spots along dorsal mid-line absent (well developed in E. japonica , E. prasina , E. queenslandica and E. variola ).

Remarks. Eviota hoesei is known only from New Caledonia, the Norfolk Ridge ( Norfolk Island) and Lord Howe Rise (Lord Howe Island and Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs). It has been collected from tidepools and rock and coral reefs in lagoons and reef slopes at depths ranging from 0.5 to 25 m. Gill & Reader (1992) noted that it was very common in the lagoon at Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs, and common on the reef slope at Elizabeth Reef. They further noted that it was the most abundant gobiid species at the reefs. Eviota prasina was also recorded as abundant at Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs and at Lord Howe Island (recorded by Allen et al., 1976, as E. viridis Waite, 1904 , a junior synonym), but was found among coral rubble in reefcrest areas.