Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation
Info
The genus Eviota, which occurs in most of the Indo-Pacific, is one of the most species-rich genera of coral fish genus, currently represented by 131 species.
The new species is currently only known from the island of Atauro in Timor-Leste, where it was collected from the tops of Porites coral nodules in a shallow subtidal (0.5-2 m) surf zone.
Atauro is an East Timorese island in the Banda Sea north of Timor. The name “Atauro” means “goat”, which comes from the fact that goats are kept on the island.
The Eviota atauroensis was collected in the shallow (0.5-2 meters deep) surf zone of medium-sized Porites coral bommies, where the individual gobies rested on the dead coral tops of bommies that were exposed at the lowest tides.
The dead coral structure is subject to extensive bioerosion, which creates holes and cracks to protect the gobies.
The background color of the head and body of the Atauro dwarf goby is a translucent gray, with a bluish tinge on the body.
Along the midline of the body, there are 6 internal black spots that extend over the silver-white spine and finally form a distinct tail stalk spot that extends to beyond the midline.
The rear 4 spots are connected to the ventral postanal spots, the fifth connects to two spots.
Furthermore, 5 dark postanal spots can be seen, separated by silver-white spots.
The scales of the body have red-orange outlines; a row of small red-orange spots runs along the base of the dorsal fin.
The caudal peduncle is marked with a cluster of red-orange spots over the hypural plate and two red-orange spots, one dorsal and one ventral, on the fleshy base of the pectoral fin, overlying clusters of clearly separated small black melanophores.
The head is marked with red-orange spots and bands overlying small black melanophores.
Three bands are visible on the top of the head, two above the nape, and one extending from behind the eye upwards.
The area behind the eyes has one spot, three spots that extend from the eye at the 4 o'clock position over the cheek; another four form a bar at the 6 o'clock position that extends to below the jaw;
there are several more scattered red-orange spots on the jaw, cheek and around the gill cover, as well as under the head .
The eye is characterized by a yellow ring around the pupil, the iris is silver-colored, with narrow red spokes running from the pupil.
The dorsal fin is crossed by a black bar about halfway up in front of the fin, which slopes downwards to the back of the fin;
The area under the bar is clearly marked with red-orange pigment, which extends from spots along the base of the dorsal fin to the fin and creates several roundish areas;.
The area above the dark bar is gray with a darker distal margin; the second dorsal fin membrane is clear, with red-orange spots on the basal half of the rays.
The caudal fin is similar to the second dorsal fin; the basal two-thirds of the anal fin are black with a row of red-orange spots on the membranes about one-third from the base, the distal margin is clear; the membranes of the pectoral and pelvic fins are clear, the rays are dark.
Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective that refers to the species' location.
CITATION:
Greenfield D.W., Erdmann, M.V. & Tornabene, L. (2023)
Eviota atauroensis, a new dwarfgoby (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Timor-Leste. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 40, 48-56.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8381649
The new species is currently only known from the island of Atauro in Timor-Leste, where it was collected from the tops of Porites coral nodules in a shallow subtidal (0.5-2 m) surf zone.
Atauro is an East Timorese island in the Banda Sea north of Timor. The name “Atauro” means “goat”, which comes from the fact that goats are kept on the island.
The Eviota atauroensis was collected in the shallow (0.5-2 meters deep) surf zone of medium-sized Porites coral bommies, where the individual gobies rested on the dead coral tops of bommies that were exposed at the lowest tides.
The dead coral structure is subject to extensive bioerosion, which creates holes and cracks to protect the gobies.
The background color of the head and body of the Atauro dwarf goby is a translucent gray, with a bluish tinge on the body.
Along the midline of the body, there are 6 internal black spots that extend over the silver-white spine and finally form a distinct tail stalk spot that extends to beyond the midline.
The rear 4 spots are connected to the ventral postanal spots, the fifth connects to two spots.
Furthermore, 5 dark postanal spots can be seen, separated by silver-white spots.
The scales of the body have red-orange outlines; a row of small red-orange spots runs along the base of the dorsal fin.
The caudal peduncle is marked with a cluster of red-orange spots over the hypural plate and two red-orange spots, one dorsal and one ventral, on the fleshy base of the pectoral fin, overlying clusters of clearly separated small black melanophores.
The head is marked with red-orange spots and bands overlying small black melanophores.
Three bands are visible on the top of the head, two above the nape, and one extending from behind the eye upwards.
The area behind the eyes has one spot, three spots that extend from the eye at the 4 o'clock position over the cheek; another four form a bar at the 6 o'clock position that extends to below the jaw;
there are several more scattered red-orange spots on the jaw, cheek and around the gill cover, as well as under the head .
The eye is characterized by a yellow ring around the pupil, the iris is silver-colored, with narrow red spokes running from the pupil.
The dorsal fin is crossed by a black bar about halfway up in front of the fin, which slopes downwards to the back of the fin;
The area under the bar is clearly marked with red-orange pigment, which extends from spots along the base of the dorsal fin to the fin and creates several roundish areas;.
The area above the dark bar is gray with a darker distal margin; the second dorsal fin membrane is clear, with red-orange spots on the basal half of the rays.
The caudal fin is similar to the second dorsal fin; the basal two-thirds of the anal fin are black with a row of red-orange spots on the membranes about one-third from the base, the distal margin is clear; the membranes of the pectoral and pelvic fins are clear, the rays are dark.
Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective that refers to the species' location.
CITATION:
Greenfield D.W., Erdmann, M.V. & Tornabene, L. (2023)
Eviota atauroensis, a new dwarfgoby (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Timor-Leste. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 40, 48-56.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8381649
