Favonigobius melanobranchus ( Fowler, 1934 )

Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Jufaili, Saud Al, Masoumi, Amir Hassan & Zarei, Fatah, 2022, Ichthyodiversity in southeastern Arabian Peninsula: Annotated checklist taxonomy, short description and distribution of Inland fishes of Oman, Zootaxa 5134 (4), pp. 451-503 : 483-484

15. Favonigobius melanobranchus ( Fowler, 1934) , Native

Fig. 38

Common name: Blackthroat Goby.

Etymology: Favonigobius : the Latin, favonius = gentle, favonianus = the west wind, gobius = gudgeon; melanobranchus : refers to the pigmented area in the median part of branchiostegal membranes in adult males.

Taxonomy: Rhinogobius melanobranchus was originally described by Fowler [H. W.] 1934:82, figs. 24-25 [Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia v. 86] Den Pasar, southern Bali, Indonesia. Holotype (unique): ANSP 56333 .

Synonyms: Rhinogobius melanobranchus Fowler, 1934: 82 . Rhinogobius atribranchiostegus Böhlke, 1984:108 . Silhouettea chaimi Goren, 1978: 197 . Papillogobius melanobranchus ( Fowler, 1934) : Gill & Miller (1990): 522.

Short description: Branchiostegal membranes meet on isthmus below the rear end of the preopercle; predorsal area naked, body scaled to the line between the posterior margin of the opercle and origin of the first dorsal fin; prepelvic area naked anteriorly, scales in 3–4 rows posteriorly, spines of the first dorsal fin, including the second spine, are not elongate; the tip of second spine of the first dorsal fin does not reaching tip of third spine when the fin is folded down; oculoscapular rows x 1 and x 2 separate; the median part of branchiostegal membranes is pigmented in adult males, pale in females and juveniles; spot located dorsally in caudal fin is clearly visible in fresh adult males and the pigmented area of the dorsal spot is still visible in the preserved adult males, lacking in females and juveniles; males with orange vertical lines on the body below the lateral midline, lost on preserved material.General

Distribution: Red Sea; Indo-West Pacific: East Africa and South Africa and Persian Gulf east to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, south to northern Australia; Mediterranean Sea immigrant.

Distribution in Oman: Sur ( Fig. 39 ) (see Freyhof et al. 2020).

Remarks: The Blackthroat Goby is found in the estuaries and is occasionally accidently trapped in freshwaters.

Examined material: Based on Freyhof et al. (2020).

Figures

FIGURE 38. Favonigobius melanobranchus, Oman: Sur (Freyhof et al. 2020).

FIGURE 39. Distribution map of Favonigobius melanobranchus in Oman. Pink: Southwestern Arabian Coast, green: Oman Mountains, and yellow: Arabian Interior.