Idiotropiscis Whitley, 1947

Short, Graham A. & Trnski, Thomas, 2021, A New Genus and Species of Pygmy Pipehorse from Taitokerau Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand, with a Redescription of Acentronura Kaup, 1853 and Idiotropiscis Whitley, 1947 (Teleostei, Syngnathidae), Ichthyology & Herpetology 109 (3), pp. 806-835 : 823

Idiotropiscis Whitley, 1947

Diagnosis.— A genus of the Syngnathidae that shares numerous morphological synapomorphies with Acentronura and Cylix , including head angled ventrally approximately 25° from the principal body axis, enclosed brood pouch, brood pouch plates, prehensile tail, and absence of caudal fin. However, Idiotropiscis differs from its co-familials by the following combination of characters: supraoccipital is elevated with a distinct and raised bony dorsomedial crest; posterolateral margins of post-temporal bones expanded moderately anteriorly taking the form of protuberances; anterior nuchal plate absent; posterior nuchal plate present anterior to cleithrum with dorsomedial crest-like ridge along its dorsum, large gap present between the supraoccipital and posterior nuchal plate; small blunt spine midway between orbit and lobed protuberance on operculum; cleithral ring distinct, discontinuous mid-dorsally; bilateral gill slits situated laterally on head between supraoccipital and cleithrum.