Eviota rubriguttata Greenfield & Suzuki, 2011

Shen, Kang-Ning, Hung, Tsang-Hsieh & Chen, I-Shiung, 2024, A new species and two newly recorded species of Eviota (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Taiwan, Zootaxa 5550 (1), pp. 32-40 : 38-39

Eviota rubriguttata Greenfield & Suzuki, 2011

( Fig. 4 )

(ṦmDzñṱ)

Eviota rubriguttata Greenfield & Suzuki, 2011:66 . (Iriomote-jima Islands, Uehara Beach, Ryukyu Islands, Japan).

Material examined

NTOUP-2017-08-405, 1 specimen, 14.6 mm SL, male, coll. I-S. Chen , 20th July , 2017, Tong-yu-ping, Nan-Fang four islands, Southern Penghu National Park, Penghu County, Taiwan .

Diagnosis

The species can be well distinguished from other congeners by the following combination of features: (1) second dorsal fin I/8, anal fin I/7, pectoral fin 17; (2) longitudinal scale rows 26; (3) typical head canal pattern type 1; (4) 5th pelvic fin ray absent; (4) mouth large, extending to middle vertical of eye; and (5) specific coloration: no prominent dark spots on pectoral fin base except two bright yellow marks; three transverse red stripes on cheek below eye; very large long black bar on rear of caudal peduncle; fins scattered with minute red spots.

Redescription

Body robust and rather compressed. Eye median large and snout rather short. Gill-opening restricted, extending just to anterior edge of opercle. Interorbital region very narrow. Mouth extending to middle vertical of eye.

Body morphometric proportions as follows: Head length 26.8%; snout to origin of first dorsal fin 38.7%; snout to origin of second dorsal fin 57.5%; snout to origin of anal fin 60.7%; body depth at anal fin origin 21.9%; caudal peduncle length 21.1%; caudal peduncle depth 14.0%, which all above in standard length. Eye diameter 27.7%; postorbital length 63.1%; snout length 20.4%; upper jaw length 48.5%, which all above in head length.

Fins. —D1 VI, D2 I/8; P 17; A I/7; VI /4. First dorsal fin rays not elongate in both sexes. Rear of second dorsal fin tip far away from vertical of caudal fin base. Fourth pelvic fin rays absent. No frenum, no connecting membrane between 2 pelvic fins.

Scales.—LR 26, TR 7, PreD 0. Body with rather large ctenoid scales. Predorsal region entirely naked. Head, opercle and nape naked.

Head lateral-line system. Same to typical head canal type 1 (see Lachner and Karnella, 1980).

Coloration in fresh material

Body and head translucent and somewhat light greenish. Trunk with 6 inner reddish or black stripes. Snout and jaws reddish. Cheek scattered with many red marks, then three mainly transverse red stripes on cheek below eye. A very large long black bar on rear of caudal peduncle. First, second dorsal and caudal fins with many rows of tiny red spots. Second dorsal fin with distal black margin. Anal fin greyish. No prominent dark spots on pectoral fin base except two bright yellow marks. Caudal fin with many tinny reddish brown dots. Anal fin grayish with two basal red spots. Pelvic fin translucent and whitish.

Distribution

This species was previously only found in Ryukyu Island (Ireomote-jima Island), Japan ( Greenfield & Suzuki, 2011). The current new record extends its distribution range southward to Taiwan (Penghu Island). This new record is very rare; it represents the second specimen found in the west Pacific region.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Eviota rubriguttata Greenfield & Suzuki, 2011, 14.6 mm SL, male, Tongyupin, Penghu County, Taiwan.