Microbrotula Gosline, 1953

Schwarzhans, Werner & Nielsen, Jørgen G., 2012, A new species of the Genus Microbrotula (Teleostei: Bythitidae) from Cenderawasih Bay, New Guinea, Indonesia, Zootaxa 3583, pp. 71-76 : 72

Microbrotula Gosline, 1953

Type species: Microbrotula rubra Gosline, 1953 (type locality: Kaneohe Bay, Oahu Island, Hawaii, U.S.A.). Microbrotula holds eight species: M. andersoni Schwarzhans & Nielsen, 2011 , M. bentleyi Anderson, 2005 , M. greenfieldi Anderson, 2007 , M. hamata Schwarzhans & Nielsen, 2011 , M. punicea Anderson, 2007 , M. queenslandica Anderson, 2005 , M. rubra Gosline, 1953 and M. geraldalleni n.sp.

Diagnosis. Small species usually not larger than 45 mm SL with few reaching a maximum of 52–60 mm SL. Vertebrae 11–13 + 33–38 = 44–51. Dorsal fin origin above vertebrae 7–11. Anal fin origin below vertebrae 13–17. Caudal fin rays 6–9. Pectoral fin rays 11–19. Pelvic peduncle not elongate. Branchiostegal rays 7. Head length 25.0–29.0 % SL. Interorbital width 3.9–7.0 % SL. Head with scales on cheek, opercle and occiput. Anterior nostril tubular, just above upper lip. Rear portion of maxilla vertically expanded. Vomerine teeth in two small patches; palatine teeth in single row or absent. Opercular spine thin, needle-like, often covered by skin; forward-curved spine at lower angle of preopercle covered by skin or absent. Developed gill rakers 2–4. Pores: 3 anterior mandibular, 3 posterior mandibular (except none in M. greenfieldi ), no supraorbital, 1–3 lower preopercular, no upper preopercular (except 1 in M. rubra ), 3 anterior infraorbital, no posterior infraorbital (except 3 in M. rubra ).

Comparison and discussion. See Schwarzhans and Nielsen (2011).