Nesogobius maccullochi, Hoese & Reader, 2006

Hoese, Douglass F. & Reader, Sally, 2006, Description of two new species of Nesogobius (Pisces: Gobioidei: Gobiidae) from southern Australia, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63 (1), pp. 7-13 : 10-13

Nesogobius maccullochi sp nov.

Figures 5–7

Gobius hinsbyi - McCulloch and Ogilby, 1919: 215, pl. 33, fig. 1 (in part, including figured specimen).

Nesogobius sp. 1 - Last, Scott and Talbot, 1983: 449, fig. 30.126 (Tas.); Hoese and Larson, 1994: 795, fig. 701 (southern Australia)

Material examined. Holotype AMS I.17575-008, 64 mm SL female, Pinalong Bay , Tas., 6 Dec 1972, D. Hoese and W. Ivantsoff.

Paratypes: Vic.: AMS I.16987-007, 67(28–74), Peterborough, 21 Mar, 1972, D.F. Hoese and W. Congleton; AMS I.16990-002, 4(42– 46), Port Phillip Bay , 23 Mar, 1972, D.F. Hoese and W. Congleton; AMS I.22943-001, 5(45–56), Rhyll, Phillip I., B. Rigby, 31 May, 1979 ; NMV A.3254, 1(48), Bruthen Creek estuary, Gippsland, 6 Aug, 1979, J. Buemer . SA: AMS I.17575-003, 4(50–60), taken with holotype; AMS I.17629-001, 1(38), Salt Creek Bay , south of Coobowie , St. Vincent Gulf, 0–1 m, 23 Dec, 1973, D. Hoese and Party; AMS I.20184- 005, 4(35–42), Bay of Shoals, Kangaroo I., 11 Mar, 1978, D. Hoese and B. Russell. Tas.: AMS I.17562-002, 52(19–78), Browns R., Kingston , 0–1 m, 30 Nov, 1972, D. Hoese and W. Ivantsoff; AMS I.17575-003, 6(57–68), inlet 6 km north of Binalong Bay, 0–1 m, 6 Dec, 1972, D. Hoese and W. Ivantsoff ; NMV A.3257, 10(28–58), Greens Beach , 8 Jan, 1967 , R.H. Green ; NTM S.16210-001, 1(47), St. Helens , P. Last ; QVM 220 , 71 (25–68), Kelso, 5 Feb, 1967 , R.H. Green ; QVM 221 , 31 (27–47), Greens Beach, 17 Oct, 1965 , R.H. Green ; QVM 222 , 1 (28), Greens Beach, 5 Feb, 1967 , R.H. Green .

Non-type material: Vic.: AMS I.23456, 13(16–43), Stoney Point , Western Port ; NMV A.3553, 1(24), Ricketts Point , Port Phillip Bay, 17 Feb ; NMV A.3523, 2(33–35), near Geelong ; NMV A.2157, 3(54–65), Portland Harbour ; NMV A.3513, 1(40), Rye , Port Phillip Bay ; NMV A.3522, 1(47), Rye , Port Phillip Bay ; NMV A.3527, 1(48), Crib Point , Western Port ; NMV A.3533, 1(51), Hovells Creek , near Geelong, Port Phillip Bay ; NMV A.3534, 3(42–50), Crib Point , Western Port ; NMV A.3537, 2(38–52), Crib Point , Western Port ; NMV A.3538, 2(54–59), Crib Point , Western Port, 3 Sep, 1974 ; NMV A.3539, 1(38), Crib Point , Western Port ; NMV A.3541, 2(37–41), Crib Point , Western Port ; NMV A.3542, 3(36–42), Crib Point , Western Port , NMV A.3548, 1(49), 3 km W of Sandringham, Port Phillip Bay , 30 Mar, 1971 ; NMV A.3552, 1(41), Sorrento, Port Phillip Bay , 31 Jul, 1972 . SA: AMS I.20162-027, 1(40), Stokes Bay , Kangaroo I.; AMS I.20177-013, 1(45), American R., Kangaroo I. Tas.: AMS I.14200, 1(69), Wedge Bay , paratype and figured specimen of Nesogobius hinsbyi .

Diagnosis. 1st dorsal fin VI –VIII, usually VII; 2nd dorsal-fin rays usually I, 8–9; anal-fin rays usually I, 8, branched caudalfin rays usually 10; pectoral fin 17–21, rarely 21; an anterior nasal pore medial to and slightly below level of each anterior nostril and a posterior nasal pore by each posterior nostril, a median anterior interorbital pore between front of eyes, a median posterior interorbital pore between end of eyes, an infraorbital pore behind each eye and a lateral canal pore along dorsal part of operculum, no preopercular pores; gill opening wide, extending to below posterior preopercular margin; top of head scaled to behind eyes, in 11–18 rows, from 1st dorsal-fin origin; operculum and preoperculum (sometimes absent on preoperculum) with a small patch of scales near dorsal margin, remainder of head without scales; body scales ctenoid, in 37–49 rows; pectoral base and area before pelvic fin scaled (about 15 rows); 1st dorsal fin with rounded or triangular margin.

Description. Based on 109 males and 155 females. 1st dorsal 5(1), 6(8), 7(159*), 8(14); 2nd dorsal rays I,7(3), I,8(93*), 0,9(2), I,9(89), 0,10(2), I,10(3), anal rays, I,7(19), I,8(134*), 0,9(2), I,9(28), 0,10(2), I,10(1); pectoral rays 17(17), 18(71*), 19(62), 20(13), 21(1); predorsal scales 12(1), 13(7), 14(27), 15(31), 16(24), 17 (15), 18(1), 19(1*); segmented caudal rays 12(2), 13(78*); branched caudal rays 9(8), 10(43), 11(1), midline predorsal scales 11(1), 13(4), 14(26*), 15(25), 16(30), 17(9), 18(1), total gill rakers 4(2), 6(5), 7(3), 8(3), 9(3); lower gill rakers on 1st arch 4(9), 5(22), 6(1); lower gill rakers on 2nd arch 4(17), 5(9), 6(4), 7(2); longitudinal scale count 37(1), 38(5), 39(6), 40(7), 41(11), 42(11), 43(8), 44(14), 45(6), 46(6*), 47(4), 48(4), 49(1); TRB 11(6), 12(14), 13(28), 14(18*), 15(4). Head (29–32% SL), broader than deep; mouth small, oblique, forming an angle of 20–25° with body axis, rear end of jaws below front margin of eye; tongue tip rounded; posterior nostril at end of short tube anterior to eye; anterior nostril at end of short tube positioned anteroventrally from posterior nostril, separated from posterior nostril by 2–3 nostril diameters; snout with an elevated bump before eyes, formed by distal tips of ascending process of maxilla; upper lip thick; lower lip thin with shallow free ventral margin anteriorly; chin with a minute round lobe, with sensory papillae from inner preopercular mandibular papilla line meeting sides of lobe; eye large, slightly shorter than snout length; gill rakers on outer face of 1st arch 0–1 + 3–5 = 4–6; rakers short on both faces of all arches, rakers on outer face of 1st arch not larger than rakers on other arches; outer row of teeth in upper jaw enlarged and directed posteriorly, followed by 2 inner rows of smaller teeth tapering laterally to 1 row; outer row of teeth in lower jaw slightly enlarged and curved posteriorly, 1 or 2 inner rows of smaller teeth, tapering laterally to 1 row; body slender, body depth at anal origin 11– 13% SL. Body robust anteriorly, slender posteriorly. 1st dorsalfin origin just behind pelvic-fin insertion, dorsal fin low, subequal to body depth at anal-fin origin; 2nd dorsal-fin origin separated from 1st dorsal fin by 2–3 rows of scales, height of 2nd dorsal fin subequal to 1st dorsal fin; anal-fin origin below and just behind 2nd dorsal-fin origin, anal fin slightly lower than dorsal fins; pelvic-fin origin behind pectoral-fin insertion; pectoral-fin margin rounded; pelvic and pectoral fins subequal in length, slightly shorter than head length; caudal fin short, length slightly shorter than pelvic-fin length, caudal fin with truncate or slightly rounded margin.

Head and body light-grey to brown, often with scattered white and brown flecks; a black bar from eye, extending across middle of jaws; a black vertical bar from eye to just behind rear end of jaws; a vertical bar just behind posterior preopercular margin; mid-sides with 4–6 horizontally elongate dark brown spots; a round black spot at rear end of caudal peduncle, followed by and often connected to a black C-shaped mark at base of caudal fin; mature males with a series of 6–12 vertical dark brown bars on body extending onto belly; bars much thinner than intervening spaces, but variable in width and position; lower operculum, pectoral base, and belly white; dorsal and anal fins with black spots forming more or less horizontal lines; pectoral and caudal fins with small black spots forming wavy vertical bands; pelvic fins white, often with irregular mottling.

Variation. Nesogobius maccullochi shows considerable variation. Males differ considerably in coloration from females. Overall females outnumbered males 1.5 times. However, only two large samples were available to compare ratios and size. One sample from Kelso, Tas. contains 46 females, 21 males and four immature specimens. In a sample from Peterborough, Vic., there are 33 females and 35 males. There was no significant difference in sizes between males and females in either sample. The largest female in all the samples is 78 mm SL and the largest male 70 mm SL. In most samples the largest individual was a female. Comparisons of fin-ray counts from various populations showed no significant differences, but large samples were available from few localities. The second dorsal and anal spine are absent in less than 2% of individuals examined.

Distribution. Tas., Vic., and SA. Normally found on sandy areas in bays and estuaries, from the intertidal to depths of a few metres.

Etymology. The species is named for A. R. McCulloch, formerly Curator of Fishes at the Australian Museum. The name is given not only in recognition of his work, but indicates that this is the species which McCulloch and Ogilby confused under the name Gobius hinsbyi .

Remarks. This species is the most abundant species in the genus in shallow areas in southern waters. It has typically been misidentified as Nesogobius hinsbyi . The species differs from Nesogobius hinsbyi in having head pores (absent in N. hinsbyi ), opercular scales dorsally only (versus operculum completely scaled), normally with seven dorsal spines (versus usually eight) and second dorsal-fin rays usually I,8–9 (versus I,9–10). Nesogobius hinsbyi occurs in deeper water and is generally taken by dredge and trawl. It should be noted that both species were included in material used for the description of Gobius hinsbyi in McCulloch and Ogilby (1919). The name originated from a Johnston manuscript, where it was not described and was a nomen nudum. That paper was later published by Whitley (1929). The species was described by McCulloch and Ogilby (1919), based largely on one specimen (AMS I.14200), which is figured here as Nesogobius maccullochi . McCulloch and Ogilby (1919) mention the Tasmanian Museum specimen as the type and give a brief description of the specimen and indicate that they believed it to be identical to the described specimen. It is regarded here that the use of the wording “the type” clearly indicates that the holotype is the specimen in the Tasmanian Museum. Eschmeyer (1998) listed the specimen as a lectotype, indicating that he believed the figured specimens should have been designated the lectotype. Whether the Tasmanian Museum specimen is a lectotype or holotype does not affect the identity of the species because literature references to “the type” and to the lectotype refer to the same specimen.