Priolepis

Bogorodsky, Sergey V., Suzuki, Toshiyuki & Mal, Ahmad O., 2016, Description of a new species of Priolepis (Perciformes: Gobiidae) from the Red Sea, a new record of Priolepis compita, and a distributional range extension of Trimma fishelsoni, Zootaxa 4150 (2), pp. 168-184 : 170-171

Key to the species of Priolepis and Trimma of the Red Sea

1a Gill opening moderately broad, extending forward to below posterior margin of preopercle or little forward, or to below posterior margin of eye (in P. compita ); spicules (odontoids) present on the medial surface of outer gill rakers of the first gill arch............................................................................................2 ( Priolepis )

1b Gill opening broad, extending forward almost to below posterior margin or middle of eye; no spicules (odontoids) on the gill rakers of the first gill arch....................................................................... 7 ( Trimma )

2a Predorsal scales 14–19; head and body with broad brown bars.................................................. 3

2b Predorsal area naked; head and body with pale bars, those on body short below first dorsal fin, or head and body without bars.................................................................................................... 5

3a Pectoral-fin rays 20–21; second spine of first dorsal fin elongate and filamentous; body with a broad bar in front of first dorsal fin followed by 4–5 narrower, oblique pale bars, and with 3 oblique bars on nape....................... P. goldshmidtae

3b Pectoral-fin rays 17–19; no elongate dorsal-fin spines; head and body with alternating pale and brown bars............. 4

4a Dorsal-fin rays VI+I,10–12 (usually 11); anal-fin rays I,9–10 (usually 9); longitudinal scale series 34–37; three brown bars below second dorsal fin.......................................................................... P. c in c t a

4b Dorsal-fin rays VI+I,9; anal-fin rays I,8; longitudinal scale series 25–28; two brown bars below second dorsal fin. P. randalli

5a Pectoral-fin rays 14–15, all unbranched; developed transverse pattern of papillae below eye; head and body uniform brownish orange densely covered with melanophores, snout and chin black.................................. P. melanops n. sp.

5b Pectoral-fin rays 16–19, some branched; reduced transverse pattern of papillae below eye; head with pale bars, body below first dorsal fin with short pale bars........................................................................ 6

6a Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,8–9 (usually 8); three white bars across preopercle, opercle, and pectoral-fin base, joined with slightly oblique stripes at eye level...................................................................... P. compita

6b Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,9–10 (usually 9); head with two white bars across nape joined to a vertical bar across preopercle and

another bar bifurcating on side of predorsal area into two bars continuing across opercle and pectoral-fin base, bars not joined with stripes at eye level....................................................................... P. semidoliata 7a Nape with a pair of modified elongate papillae; head with two dark bars below eye.................................. 8

7b No modified elongate papillae on nape; no bars below eye, if bars present, they are yellow ( T. sheppardi )................ 9

8a Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,8–9 (usually 9); anal-fin rays usually I,8; pectoral-fin rays 17–20; 1–3 scales usually present dorsally on opercle; second dorsal-fin spine prolonged in both sexes; body with six white bars dorsally............... T. mendelssohni

8b Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,8; anal-fin rays I,7; pectoral-fin rays 15–17; no scales on opercle; spines of first dorsal fin not prolonged; body with diffuse brown bars............................................................. T. quadrimaculatum

9a Predorsal scales present in midline....................................................................... 10

9b No predorsal scales in midline.......................................................................... 13

10a Spines in first dorsal fin not elongate; dark bluish grey, usually shading gradually to yellow on caudal peduncle and fin; head with scattered read spots (some pupil-size), snout red, dorsal half of orbit outlined with pale blue; dorsal fins transparent........................................................................................... T. flavicaudatum

10b First dorsal fin with two or three elongate, often filamentous, spines; colour of head and body not as above; dorsal fins with yellow spots or stripes............................................................................... 11

11a Second and third dorsal-fin spines elongate, second spine filamentous; orange-brown overall, body with three longitudinal rows of orange-yellow spots; iris reddish brown, flecked peripherally with light blue; solitary on coral reefs...... T. barralli

11b Second, but not third, dorsal-fin spine elongate and filamentous; colour not as above; forms small free-swimming groups close to caves............................................................................................ 12

12a Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,10–11 (usually 10); anal-fin rays I,9–10 (usually 10); no scales on head; body semi-translucent with broad midlateral reddish orange stripe tapering posteriorly and longitudinal row of small, ovoid, golden spots below first dorsal fin; dorsal and anal fins with series of small yellow spots............................................ T. taylori

12b Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,7–8; anal-fin rays I,7–8; cheek and opercle scaled; body pale greenish yellow densely dotted with melanophores along back and on lower half of body, with a faint broad purple stripe above midside of body; each dorsal and anal fins with yellow stripe......................................................................... T. fishelsoni

13a. Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,8–9 (usually 9); body translucent pale yellow with a series of eight internal dark spots along vertebral column and an oval one or double blackish spot at upper insertion of gill opening; two yellow bars below eye... T. sheppardi

13b Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,9–11 (usually 10 or 11); body with longitudinal series of red or reddish orange spots; no bars below eye................................................................................................... 14

14a Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,10–11 (usually 11); anal-fin rays I,9–10 (usually 10); second dorsal-fin spine elongate and filamentous; blue line below eye; iris brown-red with bluish internal ring........................................ T. filamentosus

14b Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,9–10 (usually 10); anal-fin rays I,9–10 (usually 9); no elongate spines in first dorsal fin; no line below eye; iris mainly red with five or six small pale blue spots surrounding pupil................................ T. avidori