Pomatoschistus nanus Engin & Seyhan, 2017

Kovačić, Marcelo, Renoult, Julien P., Pillon, Roberto, Svensen, Rudolf, Bogorodsky, Sergey V., Engin, Semih & Louisy, Patrick, 2022, Identification of Mediterranean marine gobies (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae) of the continental shelf from photographs of in situ individuals, Zootaxa 5144 (1), pp. 1-103 : 80

Pomatoschistus nanus Engin & Seyhan, 2017 ( Fig. 68 )—Pygmaean Goby

Pomatoschistus nanus Engin & Seyhan, 2017: 3 ; type locality: Turkey, Antalya, Kas, Camel Reef .

Size. Maximum size 2.0 cm total length ( Engin & Seyhan 2017).

Morphology. D VI + I,8; A I,9–11; P 15–16 ( Engin & Seyhan 2017). Very small goby with subcylindrical body, laterally compressed towards caudal fin, head slightly depressed and moderately small. Snout pointed. Eyes large. Caudal peduncle slender, lower than body depth. Dorsal fins of similar height, the first dorsal fin with more or less rounded margin and no elongated spines. Caudal fin slightly emarginate. Scales present, but not usually visible on photographs.

Live coloration. Body mostly translucent ( Fig. 68 ); most visible chromatophores are deep inside the body, arranged along the vertebral column in a white line interspersed with dark markings and then, three longer dark lines and finally an elongate spot on caudal-fin base. Superimposed on this deep pattern are 4 very thin dorsal white saddles and a fifth broader saddle on caudal peduncle; a midlateral dark spot, that may slightly extend ventrally, below each saddle. Body whitish ventrally, with vertical, iridescent, pale gray streaks. Cheeks pale. Usually no horizontal Y-shaped dark marking on opercle. On nape, 3 whitish to white markings just behind eyes with 2 dark longitudinal streaks in between, and underlined with dark on sides ( Engin & Seyhan 2017; present work).

Similar species. Pomatoschistus bathi , Pseudaphya ferreri .

Habitat. Infralittoral and circalittoral species, on coarse sand close to rocky reefs at depths of 29–41 m ( Engin & Seyhan 2017).

Geographic distribution. Eastern Mediterranean. Known only from the northern coast of the Levantine Sea ( Engin & Seyhan 2017).

Figures

FIGURE 68. Live coloration in its natural habitat of Pomatoschistus nanus. Photo by S. Engin, Kaş, Antalya, Turkey.