Dr. James Van Tassell, Florida, USA
Info
Three specimens of Marcelogobius helenae were collected in small crevices at the base of low volcanic rock cliffs with sandy bottoms at depths of 49–61 meters in the waters around the Canary Islands.
Over a period of 24 years from 1976 to 2000, several hundred dives were made to observe and collect gobies around five of the seven islands.
With only three specimens collected at depths greater than 49 meters, this is most certainly a deep-sea species.
It was collected together with Vanneaugobius pruvoti, another goby species known from depths of 60 to 270 meters.
Color of live gobies:
The paratype, a female, had a body with four speckled, broad brown-orange bars separated by narrower white bars.
The bars extend from the dorsal to the ventral midline, the color of the dark bars consists mainly of brown and orange tones with isolated white areas in the middle of each bar.
On the dorsal head, three brownish and three white bars run along the dorsal surface, the brown bars in the neck being wider than the white bars.
An orange stripe extends from the snout to the middle of the eye socket, running through the eye and along the anterior third of the dorsal surface, merging with the first dark head stripe along the ventral side.
There are 5 more or less round orange spots on the cheeks, which are outlined in dark brown. 2 elongated spots can be seen on the posterior dorsal cheek and a thin orange stripe along the back of the operculum.
There is a black spot on the ventral operculum.
The pectoral fins are transparent with a light orange triangle at the base, the tip is directed backwards.
The first dorsal fin is marked with three brown oblique bands that merge into brown body bars; a dark spot can be seen at the rear end of the dorsal fin, the color of which is limited to the membrane ventral to the fifth dorsal fin ray.
The second dorsal fin is brown mottled and transparent, ventral from the center of the fin, with the darkest color limited to the rays,
The caudal fin has a black (front) and white (rear) bar at the base, the rest of the fin is translucent with light orange and white mottled areas;.
Pectoral and pelvic fins are translucent, with the anal fin having brown pigment restricted to the membrane area.
Etymology:
The generic name “Marcelogobius” honors Marcelo Kovačić, the leading goby expert for the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian region.
Etymology.
The species name “helenae” is named after Helen Gay Oulton, who organized the logistics on site for the 10-year Earthwatch expeditions and a further 10 years of studies that she conducted in the Canary Islands.
Without her help and commitment, none of this research would have been possible. Her love for the people, fauna and flora of the Canary Islands is extraordinary.
Synonym: Didogobius helenae (Van Tassell & Kramer 2014
Over a period of 24 years from 1976 to 2000, several hundred dives were made to observe and collect gobies around five of the seven islands.
With only three specimens collected at depths greater than 49 meters, this is most certainly a deep-sea species.
It was collected together with Vanneaugobius pruvoti, another goby species known from depths of 60 to 270 meters.
Color of live gobies:
The paratype, a female, had a body with four speckled, broad brown-orange bars separated by narrower white bars.
The bars extend from the dorsal to the ventral midline, the color of the dark bars consists mainly of brown and orange tones with isolated white areas in the middle of each bar.
On the dorsal head, three brownish and three white bars run along the dorsal surface, the brown bars in the neck being wider than the white bars.
An orange stripe extends from the snout to the middle of the eye socket, running through the eye and along the anterior third of the dorsal surface, merging with the first dark head stripe along the ventral side.
There are 5 more or less round orange spots on the cheeks, which are outlined in dark brown. 2 elongated spots can be seen on the posterior dorsal cheek and a thin orange stripe along the back of the operculum.
There is a black spot on the ventral operculum.
The pectoral fins are transparent with a light orange triangle at the base, the tip is directed backwards.
The first dorsal fin is marked with three brown oblique bands that merge into brown body bars; a dark spot can be seen at the rear end of the dorsal fin, the color of which is limited to the membrane ventral to the fifth dorsal fin ray.
The second dorsal fin is brown mottled and transparent, ventral from the center of the fin, with the darkest color limited to the rays,
The caudal fin has a black (front) and white (rear) bar at the base, the rest of the fin is translucent with light orange and white mottled areas;.
Pectoral and pelvic fins are translucent, with the anal fin having brown pigment restricted to the membrane area.
Etymology:
The generic name “Marcelogobius” honors Marcelo Kovačić, the leading goby expert for the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian region.
Etymology.
The species name “helenae” is named after Helen Gay Oulton, who organized the logistics on site for the 10-year Earthwatch expeditions and a further 10 years of studies that she conducted in the Canary Islands.
Without her help and commitment, none of this research would have been possible. Her love for the people, fauna and flora of the Canary Islands is extraordinary.
Synonym: Didogobius helenae (Van Tassell & Kramer 2014
