Coloconger maculatus sp. nov., a species of short-tail eel from eastern Taiwan (Anguilliformes: Colocongridae)

A new species of Coloconger is described from a large female collected off eastern Taiwan. It can be distinguished from congeners by having a large black blotch on rear portion of tail; posterior end of tail white; and combination of characters: head small 15.7% TL; 4 supratemporal pores, middle 2 in pair; 7 supraorbital pores, 2 pores over posterior nostril; 12 or 14 infraorbital pores; 14 preoperculomandibular pores; 226 dorsal-fin rays and 122 anal-fin rays; preanal vertebrae 77 and total vertebrae 145; rictus through a vertical of posterior margin of pupil; snout shorter than eye diameter; distance between origins of pectoral and dorsal fins 69.4% pectoral-fin length; and body brownish gray dorsally, light gray ventrally, and dorsal fin dark gray. Data and variations of Coloconger japonicus found in Taiwan are provided and discussed.

A new jawfish of the genus Opistognathus (Perciformes: Opistognathidae) from Japan

A new species of jawfish, Opistognathus ocellicaudatus, is described based on a single specimen collected at 67 m depth in Sagami Bay (near the mouth of Tokyo Bay), Honshu Island, Japan. The new species can be separated from all other Indo-West Pacific jawfish species in having 3 longitudinal dark brown stripes on the body, a large dark whitish-rimmed ocellus on the caudal fin, a small black blotch on the opercular flap, the dorsal fin with 11 spines and 11 soft rays, the anal fin with 2 spines and 11 soft rays, 21 pectoral-fin soft rays, 26 vertebrae, 42 oblique scale rows, and 2 supraneurals. The holotype is a female containing mature eggs, suggesting summer spawning. The type locality was close to the northern distributional limit of Opistognathidae in the Indo-West Pacific. [http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:00DCADDA-BE92-4C33-B7EB-1DA8348BA02A]

A review of the Australasian genus Pseudophycis (Gadiformes: Moridae), redescribing its four species and resurrecting the name Physiculus palmatus Klunzinger, 1872, for the Australian Red Cod

Gomon, M.F., Struthers, C.D. and Kemp, J. 2021. A review of the Australasian genus Pseudophycis (Gadiformes: Moridae), redescribing its four species and resurrecting the name Physiculus palmatus Klunzinger, 1872, for the Australian Red Cod. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 80: 103–143. The commercially fished Red Cod Pseudophycis bachus Forster in Bloch and Schneider, 1801, is shown on the basis of both morphological and genetic evidence to be confined to New Zealand waters. The separation of the closely related but distinct Australian cognate brings the number of species in the Australasian genus Pseudophycis to four. The name Physiculus palmatus Klunzinger, 1872, which was long thought to be a junior synonym of Pseudophycis barbata Günther, 1862, is demonstrated to have been originally proposed for the Australian endemic. Pseudophycis palmata (new combination) differs from P. bachus in having a prominent black blotch or spot basally on the pectoral fin that does not extend dorsally onto the body, in contrast to distinctly extending onto body, the second dorsal fin with 47–56 rather than 40–45 rays, the anal fin with 50–57 rather than 42–48 rays and the vertebral column with 47–50 rather than 44–46 total vertebrae. Diagnoses, colour descriptions, images and distributions for all four species and a key to members of the genus are provided.

A new deepwater gurnard of the genus Pterygotrigla (Scorpaeniformes: Triglidae) from the southwestern Indian Ocean

A new species of deepwater gurnard, Pterygotrigla (Otohime) madagascarensis sp. nov. is described, based on two specimens collected on the upper continental slope south of Madagascar, in the southwestern Indian Ocean. The new species belongs to the tropical Indo-Pacific subgenus Otohime in having a short rostral projection, short posttemporal spine, long opercular spine and no cleithral spine. It is most similar to P. (O.) multipunctata, and P. (O.) urashimai, in having no large blotch on the first dorsal fin, a jet-black blotch and no white ocellus on the inner pectoral-fin surface, with no scales on the breast and front of the pectoral-fin base. However, the new species differs from the latter two species by the combination of the following characters: first dorsal-fin spines 7, second dorsal-fin rays 12, dusky rays on the inner pectoral-fin surface, one row of blackish botches on second dorsal fin, and no papillae on the dorsal surface of oral cavity. A key is provided for the twelve Pterygotrigla species now in the subgenus Otohime.

Branchiostegus biendong, a New Tilefish from Vietnam (Perciformes: Branchiostegidae)

A new tilefish, Branchiostegus biendong, is described on the basis of three specimens (181–209 mm in standard length [SL]) collected from a local fish market of Quy Nhon on the South China Sea coast of central Vietnam. It can be distinguished from 17 congeners in having the following combination of characters: six diagonal scale rows exposed on cheek; cheek scales moderately large (diameter 2.2–2.5% SL); predorsal ridge black; cheek almost silver with an oval-shaped, yellow blotch along ventral margin of eye; dorsal fin translucent yellowish with narrow black margin overlapping stronger yellowish coloration dorsally; upper lobe of caudal fin with 5–6 yellow stripes and tip with black blotch; and lower lobe of caudal fin navy blue. A key to five species of Branchiostegus from Vietnamese waters is provided.

A new species of Gracixalus (Anura, Rhacophoridae) from Yunnan, China

A new species of the genusGracixalus,Gracixalusyunnanensissp. n., is described based on a series of specimens collected from southwestern and southern Yunnan, China. This species is distinguished from all other known congeners by a combination of the following characters: relatively small body size in adult males (SVL 26.0–34.2 mm); dorsal surface yellow brown or red brown; distinctive conical asperities on dorsum; males with an external subgular vocal sac and linea masculina; throat, chest, and belly nearly immaculate; venter surface orangish with yellow spots, semi-transparent; snout rounded; supratympanic fold distinct; iris bronze; lack of white patch on temporal region; tibiotarsal projection absent; sides of body nearly smooth with no black blotch; finger webbing rudimentary; and toe webbing formula I1.5–2II1.5–2.7III.5–3IV2.5–1.5V. Genetically, the new species diverges from its congeners by 2.2%–14.1% (uncorrected p-distance) and is closest toG.guangdongensis. However, the new species can morphologically be separated fromG.guangdongensisby distinctive conical tubercles on dorsum (versus absent), lateral surface nearly smooth with no black blotches on ventrolateral region (versus lateral surface rough, scattered with tubercles and black blotches on ventrolateral region), snout rounded (versus triangularly pointed), iris bronze (versus iris brown), and ventral surface orangish (versus throat and chest creamy white and belly light brown).

A new species of Lipogramma from deep reefs of Roatan, Honduras (Teleostei, Grammatidae)

A new species of Lipogramma is described from submersible collections at 122–165 m depth off the coast of Roatan, Honduras, in the western Caribbean. The new species is distinguished from all other species in the genus by its bright blue coloration on the head, nape, and dorsal portion of the trunk beneath the spinous dorsal fin, a prominent round black blotch below the origin of the spinous dorsal fin, and a high number of gill rakers. A molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes shows that the new species belongs to a clade containing L.levinsoni, L.regia, and L.anabantoides. At Roatan, submersible observations of this and other Lipogramma species indicate clear, interspecific habitat partitioning by depth and substrate.

Description of four new species of freshwater gobies from the Black River drainage in China and Vietnam (Teleostei: Gobiidae)

Four new species of Rhinogobius Gill 1859 are described from the Black River drainage in China and Vietnam. Rhinogobius coccinella, new species, and R. nanophyllum, new species, are described from the Mengyejiang River in Yunnan, China. Rhinogobius coccinella is diagnosed by having the cheek and operculum with about 25 large dark spots and branchiostegal membrane unmarked; caudal-peduncle depth 11–12% SL; 1–5 predorsal scales; 27–30 midlateral scales; and 28 vertebrae. Rhinogobius nanophyllum is diagnosed by having the cheek, operculum and pectoral-fin base with about 90 indistinct white marks, caudal fin plain-colored, second dorsal fin magnified with a very broad dark gray median band and a broad white proximal band in males; caudal-peduncle length 22–25% SL and pectoral-fin length 21–24% SL in males; head width at operculum 53–58% HL in males, 58–61% HL in females; 0 predorsal scales; 8–10 branched rays in the second dorsal fin; 7–8 branched anal-fin rays; and 28 vertebrae. Rhinogobius ngutinhoceps, new species, is described from the Nam Na River in Lai Chau, Vietnam. It differs from all congeners by the presence of a supraotic pore β; cheek and operculum with about 65 dark marks and branchiostegal membrane unmarked in males; snout pointed; lower jaw conspicuously protruding; predorsal length 40–41% SL; 12–15 predorsal scales; and 29 vertebrae. Rhinogobius phuongae, new species, is described from the Nam Mu River in Lai Chau, Vietnam, and is diagnosed by having the cheek with about 25 indistinct dark spots and branchiostegal membrane with pale spots in males; operculum unmarked; flank plain-colored in males; a conspicuous black blotch between spines I and III of the first dorsal fin; unpaired fins with a very broad white distal band; pectoral-fin length 20–21% SL; 8–10 predorsal scales; 8–9 branched rays in the second dorsal fin; and 28 vertebrae. A key to the species of Rhinogobius occurring within the Red River drainage is given.

Poecilia (Pamphorichthys) akroa, a new poeciliid species (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae) from the Rio Tocantins basin, Brazil

A new species, Poecilia (Pamphorichthys) akroa, is described from the Rio Tocantins drainage, Brazil. The new species differs from the remaining species of the genus by the possession of 10 or 11 pectoral-fin rays, entire preopercular ramus and posterior portion of the supraorbital ramus of the cephalic sensory system enclosed in canals, a faint longitudinal band along the body, a single gonapophysis, a homogeneous reticulate color pattern on sides of body, urogenital region of females heavily pigmented, distalmost segments of the anterior branch (4a) of the fourth gonopodial ray fused into an elongated segment turned anteriorly, subdistal segments of anterior branch (5a) of fifth gonopodial ray simple, without anterior (ventral) projections, dorsal fin with pigmentation at its distal portion and with a basal black blotch, and chromatophores more concentrated on the posterior margin of the mid-ventral scale series of the caudal peduncle and ventrolateral margin of the adjacent scales forming a series of rhombi posterior to anal fin.

A new species of Hyphessobrycon Durbin from northeastern Brazil: evidence from morphological data and DNA barcoding (Characiformes, Characidae)

A new species of Hyphessobrycon is described for the upper Munim and Preguiças river basins, northeastern Brazil, supported by morphological and molecular species delimitation methods. This new species belongs to the Hyphessobrycon sensu stricto group, as it has the three main diagnostic character states of this assemblage: presence of a dark brown or black blotch on the dorsal fin, absence of a black midlateral stripe on its flank and the position of Weberian apparatus upward horizontal through dorsal margin of operculum. Our phylogenetic analysis also supported the allocation of the new species in this group; however, it was not possible to recover the species sister-group. Pristellamaxillaris and Moenkhausiahemigrammoides were recovered as the sister-clade of the Hyphessobrycon sensu stricto group.