Eviota pinocchioi, Greenfield, David W. & Winterbottom, Richard, 2012

Greenfield, David W. & Winterbottom, Richard, 2012, Two new dwarfgobies from the Southwestern Pacific Ocean (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Eviota), Zootaxa 3572, pp. 33-42 : 39-42

Eviota pinocchioi n. sp.

Pinocchio dwarfgoby Figs. 9–11 .

Eviota Palau sp. 2, Dimara, et al. 2010.

Holotype: ROM 76361, 15.3 mm male, Palau, S.W. corner of Uchelbeluu Reef, 07°16’54.3” N, 134°31’38.7” E, 15.2–26.5 m, vertical drop-off with caves and sandy shelves/slope, some Halimeda , field number RW04-19, R. Winterbottom, W. Holleman, B. Hubley, and D. Winterbottom, 28 May 2004.

Paratypes: ROM 93606, 3 males 13.4–16.5 mm, 2 females 13.0– 14.9mm, taken with holotype. ROM 79437, 7 females 10.8–14.5 mm, Palau, S.W. corner Uchelbeluu Reef, 07°16’28.7”N, 134°31’32.1”E, 13.7–25.9 m, wall with ledges, shallow caves and some silty sand, field number RW04-5, R. Winterbottom, B. Hubley, D. Winterbottom, and A. Bauman, 21 May 2004. ROM 80677, 15.0 male, Palau, off Uchelbeluu Reef, 7°16’24.8”N, 134°01’26.6”E, 73m, field number RW06-14, P. Colin, 28 March 2006. ROM 81010, 14.7 mm male, 11.4 mm female (cleared and stained), Palau, Pelilieu State, Ngeddebus Id., S.E. coast, channel near drop-off, 07°06’00.9”N, 134°16’06.9”E, 39.6–48.8 m, plate and encrusting corals, Seriatopora , sponges and ascidians, field number RW06- 43, R. Winterbottom, W. Holleman, M. Winterbottom, M. Westneat, J. Cooper, A. Rice, and A. Bauman, 10 April 2006. ROM 77499, 2 females 12.7 & 15.2 mm, Palau, Koror, outer reef off Ulong pass to N. of Ngerumekaul pass, 07°18’11.2”N, 134°01’26.6”E, 15.2–30.5 m, field number RW06-18, P. Colin, 29 March 2006. ROM 80701, 14.5 mm male, 2 females 13.5 mm and 15.2 mm, Palau, Uchelbeluu reef near E. tip, 7°16’29.2”N, 134°31’32”E, 19.8–27.4 m, field number RW06-25, R. Winterbottom, W. Holleman, M. Winterbottom, M. Westneat, J. Cooper, and A. Rice, 31 March 2006. CAS 234444 (ex-ROM 74882), 14.9 mm male, 13.9 mm female, 1 immature 11.0 mm, Palau, S.W. corner Uchelbeluu Reef, 07°16’26.9”N, 134°31’29.3”E, 12.2–21.3 m, vertical drop-off with caves and ledges with some silty sand, Halimeda , field number RW04-04, R. Winterbottom, B. Hubley, A. Bauman, and S. Kiefer, 20 May 2004. AMS I.46071-001 (ex-ROM 74882), 13.6 mm female, taken with CAS 234444; USNM 406709 (ex-ROM 80687), 2 females 12.8 mm, Palau, off Uchelbeluu Reef, 7°16’ 24.8”N, 134° 01’ 26.6”E, 17.4 m, field number RW06-18, P. Colin, 29 March 2006.

Non-types: ROM 76547, 10.5 mm female, Palau, Koror, just N. of pass to W. of Ulong Id. outer reef, 07°17’44.2”N, 134°14’18.9”E, vertical wall of drop-off, some small caves, broad sandy ledge at 31 m, 18.3–30.5 m, Halimeda , field number RW04-38, R. Winterbottom, W. Holleman, B. Hubley, and D. Winterbottom, 7 June 2004. ROM 84794, 9.1 mm immature, Palau, Sonsoral State, Merir Island, E coast, a little south of northern tip, 04°19’22”N, 132°21’9.02”E, 22.0–35.0 m, steep (ca 75°) reef slope with a moderate coral cover, limestone, a few small caves and crevices with coarse sand floors, Acropora , Porites , star and lettuce corals, numerous sea-fans, Halimeda , field number RW08-50, R. Winterbottom, M. Westneat, J. Williams, W. Holleman, B. Hubley, and M. Winterbottom, 29 September 2008.

Questionable specimens: CAS 234099, 15.3 mm male, Indonesia, Rouw Island, Cendrawasih Bay, 65 m, M. V. Erdmann, 19 November 2011; CAS 234827, 14.8 mm male, Indonesia, Mark’s Treasure, Cendrawasih Bay, 02°25.830’S, 134°59.409’E, 45 m, M.V. Erdmann, 15 June 2012; ROM 85364, 18.3 mm female, Indonesia, Raja Ampat, east side of Barracuda Rock, 200 m north of Wayil Id., 02°11'43.4"N, 130°25'37.9"E, 60 m, field number RW 10-41, M. V. Erdmann, 1 Feb., 2010.

Diagnosis. The following combination of characters distinguishes E. pinocchioi from congeners: cephalic sensory-pore system always lacking POP and IT pores, PITO and AITO pores fused 50% of time; dorsal/anal finray formula 8/8; pectoral-fin rays unbranched; 4th pelvic-fin ray bifurcated with each branch about 50% of the total length of the ray; unbranched 5th pelvic-fin ray 6.5–15.3 (11.0%) of 4th; dorsal-fin spines filamentous in males, tubular anterior nares very long, length almost equal to pupil diameter, reaching well anterior to the upper lip, and black; in life body translucent and crossed by six narrow red bands and devoid of obvious dark marks on body when preserved.

Description. Dorsal-fin rays VI-I,9; anal-fin rays I,8[I,7(1), I,8(9)]; pectoral-fin rays 16 [15(2), 16(8)], rays unbranched; pelvic fin I,4+ unbranched 5th, which is 13.7% [6.5–15.3 (11.0%)] the length of the 4th ray, 4th ray bifurcated with each branch about 50% of total length of the ray, similar to Fig. 2 of E. lacrimae in Sunobe (1988); 11 branched caudal-fin rays; segmented caudal-fin rays 17; lateral scale rows 25 (24–26, usually 25); transverse scale rows 7; vertebrae 25; first, second, and third dorsal-fin spines filamentous in males, extending back to about the third soft ray in the second dorsal fin; always lacking the POP and IT pores in the cephalic sensory-pore system, and the PITO and AITO pores are fused into one 50% of the time; male genital papilla non-fimbriate.

Measurements (based on holotype and 9 paratypes, 13.4–16.5 mm). Head length 33.4 (30.2–33.6, 32.3); origin of first dorsal fin 38.0 (35.6–39.5, 37.5); origin of second dorsal fin 56.4 (54.0–61.4, 58.0); origin of anal fin 62.3 (57.7–66.0, 62.2); caudal-peduncle length 22.9 (20.5–26.9, 24.3); caudal-peduncle depth 13.8 (10.3–13.8, 12.4); body depth 20.3 (20.1–23.9, 21.6); eye diameter 10.2 (9.9–11.9, 10.6); snout length 5.2 (5.2–6.7, 5.8); upperjaw length 10.5 (9.6–12.7, 11.5).

Color of holotype in preservative ( Fig. 9 , ROM 76361). Background color of head and body pale yellowish. No bold dark markings on body. A line of melanophores along ventral surface of caudal peduncle. Head with a few small mealnophores behind center of eye, and several clusters of larger melanophores on top of head behind eyes. Snout and center of upper jaw peppered with small melanophores. Anterior tubular nares black. Pupil and iris of eye black. A few small melanophores on nape in advance of first dorsal fin. Basal half of pelvic fins dusky. Pectoral fins immaculate. Caudal fin mostly clear with a few melanophores distally. Anal and soft dorsal fins with scattered melanophores on rays and membranes. First dorsal fin with a dark band crossing base just above a clear portion along base of fin near dorsum.

Color of fresh paratype ( Fig. 10 , ROM 80701). Background color of head and body translucent white. All markings on body orange. Body crossed by six narrow bars: the first from the front of the first dorsal fin down behind the pectoral-fin base; the second at the posterior end of the first dorsal fin, curving down across the abdomen towards the anus; the third at the third element of the second dorsal fin extending down to the anal-fin origin; the fourth at the sixth element of the second dorsal fin extending down to the anal fin; the fifth running from behind the second dorsal fin down to the posterior end of the anal fin; and the sixth across the caudal peduncle. The nape is crossed by two bars and there is a short bar between the two dorsal fins, another at the posterior end of the second dorsal fin, with a corresponding bar below it at the anal fin, and two short bars at the dorsal and ventral caudal-fin base. The central portion of the caudal-fin base also has a short bar. The area on top of the head behind the eyes has a blotch and the opercular area has another. There are three narrow bars under the eye, the shortest at the posteroventral margin, another ventrally under the eye and extending down across the jaws and the third at the anteroventral edge and also crossing the jaws. Eye pupil black, iris sky blue with red-orange spokes surrounding pupil. Base of anterior tubular nares orange, remainder black. The pectoral-fin base has two blotches, one at the top and the other at the bottom, separated by a translucent white area. Second dorsal fin with brown spots on rays, distal margin dusky. Upper half of caudal fin with brown spots on dusky rays. Anal-fin rays and membranes dusky. Spines of first dorsal fin red-orange with first and second body bars extending onto lower one quarter of fin, a bar of melanophores running across base just above a clear portion along base of fin near dorsum. Pectoral and pelvic fins white.

Distribution. Palau and possibly Indonesia. In Palau, the species has only been taken in the main island group and the middle of the South West Islands (Merir I.).

Etymology. Named after Carlo Collodi’s fictional character Pinocchio, who had a nose that grew long when he lied, alluding to the exceptionally long anterior tubular nares in this species.

Comparisons: Five other described Eviota species also lack only the POP and IT pores: E. lacrimae , E.

ocellifer , E. sparsa , and E. susanae . Eviota pinocchioi has non-fimbriate genital papillae, a dorsal-fin count of VI- I,9 and unbranched pectoral-fin rays (vs. fimbriate papillae in both sexes, VI-I,8 and branched pectoral-fin rays in E. susanae ). The 5th pelvic-fin ray is 53–90% of the 4th pelvic-fin ray and some pectoral fin-rays are branched in E. sparsa (vs. 6.5–15.3% and unbranched in E. pinocchioi ). The pectoral-fin rays are branched in E. ocellifer (vs. unbranched in E. pinocchioi ). Eviota lacrimae has a dorsal-fin count of VI-I,8 and the 5th pectoral-fin ray is usually absent (vs. VI-I,9 and present in E. pinocchioi ). Eviota pinocchioi also differs greatly in live coloration from all of these species.

Remarks: Three specimens were collected in Indonesia that have the identical color pattern of E. pinocchioi , including the long black tubular anterior nares ( Fig. 11 ). They are like E. pinocchioi in lacking both the POP and IT pores, but in addition lack more pores that are present in that species. ROM 85364 also lacks the PITO, SOT, and AOT pores. CAS 234099 and 234827 lack all pores. Often very small specimens may lack pores, but CAS 234099 is 15.3 mm, CAS 234827 is 14.8 mm, and ROM 85364 is 18.3 mm. In addition, E. pinocchioi has 15–16 (usually 16) pectoral-fin rays, whereas the Indonesian specimens have 16, 17 and 18. Because the Indonesian specimens share this unique color pattern with E. pinocchioi , have the same measurements and structure of the fourth pelvicfin ray (bifurcated with branches about 50% of total length of the ray), we are hesitant to treat them as a separate species without further specimens and genetic information. Although the long black tubular anterior nares and more simple bifurcated pelvic-fin rays are similar to those in species of Sueviota, Winterbottom and Hoese (1988) did not list these as a synapomorphies for that genus. The branched 5th pelvic-fin ray and the basal membrane that are present in Sueviota are lacking in E. pinocchioi and in all other species of Eviota .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Eviota jewettae, paratypes preserved, ROM 93605. Photograph by D. W. Greenfield.

FIGURE 9. Eviota pinocchioi, holotype preserved, ROM 76361, Photograph by D. W. Greenfield.

FIGURE 10. Eviota pinocchioi, freshly collected paratype, ROM 80701, 14.5 mm, Palau, Uchelbeluu Reef. Photograph by R. Winterbottom.

FIGURE 11. Eviota pinocchioi, fresh specimen underwater, Indonesia. Photograph by M. Erdmann.