Tridentiger species

Cui, Rongfeng, Pan, Yashu, Yang, Xinming & Wang, Yingyong, 2013, A new barbeled goby from south China (Teleostei: Gobiidae), Zootaxa 3670 (2), pp. 177-192 : 188

Key to the known Tridentiger species (Modified from Akihito et al. (1993))

1a Barbels present on chin, lower jaw and maxilla.............................................................. 2

1b No barbel present on chin, lower jaw or maxilla............................................................. 3

2a Barbels highly developed, centremost pair of chin barbels exceeding chin edge by about their 1/2; the transverse papillae row at the anterior edge of the operculum (line ot) as barbels; longitudinal scale count 34–40, typically 36... Tridentiger barbatus

2b Barbels less developed, centremost pair of chin barbels exceeding chin edge by less than their 1/3; transverse papillae row at the anterior edge of the operculum (line ot) normal, not as barbels; 40–50 longitudinal scales 40–50, typically 45......................................................................................... Tridentiger radiatus sp. nov.

3a Longitudinal scale count 54–60.......................................................................... 4

3b Longitudinal scale count 38–44.......................................................................... 5

4a Uppermost soft ray of pectoral fin free and covered with papillae, longest diameter of sensory canal pore on dorsal side of head more than half of the posterior nasal pore............................................. Tridentiger trigonocephalus

4b Uppermost soft ray of pectoral fin not free and not covered with papillae, longest diameter of sensory canal pore on dorsal side of head less than half of the posterior nasal pore............................................ Tridentiger bifasciatus

5a Uppermost pectoral fin ray free....................................................... Tridentiger nudicervicus

5b Uppermost pectoral fin ray constrained............................................. Tridentiger obscurus complex