Reproductive biology and morphology of eggs and larvae of Stiphodon percnopterygionus (Gobiidae: Sicydiinae) collected from Okinawa Island

Reproductive biology and morphology of eggs and early larvae of the sicydiine goby Stiphodon percnopterygionus were investigated on Okinawa Island, southern Japan. Spawning season was estimated as being from May to December. Standard length at maturity was approximately 20 mm in both sexes, and batch fecundity was approximately 1000–10 000 per female. The egg masses, guarded by the male, were laid on the undersurface of stones in freshwater. The pyriform eggs had long- and short-axis diameters of 0.54–0.58 mm and 0.49–0.50 mm, respectively. Newly hatched larvae (1.20–1.32 mm notochord length: NL) were poorly developed, with large yolk sacs and unopened mouths. Three days after hatching (1.87–2.05 mm NL), eyes were fully pigmented and mouths were opened. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Rhinogobius immaculatus,a new species of freshwater goby (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the Qiantang River,China

A new freshwater goby, Rhinogobius immaculatus sp.nov., is described here from the Qiantang River in China. It is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: second dorsal-fin rays I, 7–9; anal-fin rays I, 6–8; pectoral-fin rays14–15; longitudinal scales 29–31; transverse scales7–9; predorsal scales 2–5; vertebrae 27(rarely 28);preopercular canal absent or with two pores; a red oblique stripe below eye in males; branchiostegal membrane mostly reddish-orange, with 3–6 irregular discrete or connected red blotches on posterior branchiostegal membrane and lower operculum in males; caudal-fin base with a median black spot; and no black blotch on anterior part of first dorsal fin in males.     

A new species of the blind goby Caecogobius (Gobioidei,Gobiidae, Gobionellinae) from a cave system on Mindanao Island,the Philippines

Ichthyological Research - A new species of the eyeless goby genus Caecogobius is described from a cave system on Mindanao Island, the Philippines. Caecogobius personatus sp. nov. is the second...     

Riverine life history of the amphidromous goby Sicyopterus japonicus (Gobiidae: Sicydiinae) in the Ota River, Wakayama, Japan

To understand the riverine life history of the amphidromous goby, Sicyopterus japonicus, studies were conducted in the Ota River, Wakayama, Japan. They were distributed from 3 to 23 km upstream from the river mouth, and abundance was higher in the middle reaches than in the upper and lower reaches. Fish were not observed in rapids during winter, suggesting a seasonal change of habitat. Body length ranged from 24 to 120 mm SL. Both females and males ranged from 1 to 6 years old, and males had larger asymptotic length than females. Condition factor showed two peaks in July and November, which appeared to correspond to the spawning season and preparation for over wintering. Gonad somatic index increased in summer with a peak in August indicating a summertime spawning season that was confirmed by collections of the newly hatched larvae migrating downstream. Eggs of 0.5 mm diameter were attached to stones and newly hatched larvae made continuous vertical movements of sinking and upward swimming and the distance of each movement was longer in freshwater than in seawater. The newly hatched larvae were collected at nighttime (19:00–24:00) mainly in August. Those larvae were very small (mean: 1.4 mm TL) with a yolk sac and no eye pigmentation. Low wintertime temperatures are likely an important determinant of the spawning and recruitment seasons and seasonal changes of activity of this species that lives at much higher latitudes than all other species of the subfamily.     

A new marine goby of genus Callogobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Taiwan

A new marine goby Callogobius sheni collected from coral reefs off southern Taiwan is described. The new species can be distinguished from congeneric species by the following combination of features: dorsal fin rays VI-I, 9; anal fin rays I, 7; pectoral fin rays 18; longitudinal scale rows 27–28; predorsal scale rows 9–10; no posterior oculoscapular and preopercular canals; body pale white with five blackish brown cross bands; caudal and pectoral fins each with a large blackish brown blotch.     

A new goby, Glossogobius minutus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the south-west coast of India

A new species of gobiid fish Glossogobius minutus collected from the south-west coast of India is described. The morphological, morphometric and meristic characters were studied with special emphasis on osteology. The various characters are compared with those of G. giuris (Harn.) and G. biocellatus (Val.), the only other species of the genus reported from this region. Glossogobius minutus is a benthic omnivore and shows distinct sexual dimorphism.     

Periophthalmus spilotus, a new species of mudskipper from Sumatra (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae)

A new species of mudskipper,Periophthalmus spilotus, is described on the basis of 16 specimens from Sumatra, Indonesia. It differs from other species ofPeriophthalmus by the following combination of characters: pelvic fins totally united into rounded disk; first dorsal fin high, greyish, no spots on fin nor elongate spines; second dorsal fin typically with 14 total elements; anal fin typically with either 14 or 15 total elements; length of anal-fin base 21.8–29.0% SL; and length of second dorsal-fin base 22.5–26.7% SL. This species is most similar to, and probably most closely related to,P. chrysospilos.     

Pseudocyclops schminkei (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pseudocyclopidae): a new species from Okinawa

Both genders of Pseudocyclops schminkei n. sp. are described from a pearl fishery aquarium on Zamami Island, Okinawa, Japan; it is the 37th species of the genus. Pseudocyclops schminkei sp. nov. differs from other species of the magnus species group in the shape of the lobes of distal exopodal segment of the male left leg 5, and the morphology of setae on middle and distal exopodal segment of male right swimming leg 2. Aspects of the morphology of P. xiphophorus and P. bilobatus are redescribed, and an unnamed Pseudocyclops sp. from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL, is briefly noted. Females of P. schminkei sp. nov., P. xiphophorus and Pseudocyclops sp. could not be separated from each other with the small number of specimens available in this study for the former two species.     

A new species ofRhinogobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Fujian Province, China

A new freshwater goby,Rhinogobius xianshuiensis sp. nov. was collected from the upper Mulan River basin of Xianyou County, Fujian Province, eastern China. The species is distinguished from related species in the region by 3–7 predorsal scales, 27 vertebrae, cephalic lateralis canals always always with 2 derived post-orbital pores (ε1) in adults, a reddish-brown vertical line below the anterior margin of the eye, and a red netlike pattern on the opercle. A key to species ofRhinogobius with higher vertebral numbers (27–29) from eastern China, Taiwan and Japan is provided.     

Two new species of Asellota (Crustacea,Isopoda) from coral reefs on Iriomote Island,Okinawa, Japan

Pleurocope iriomotensis sp. n. and Prethura tuberculata sp. n. are described from Iriomote Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, southern Japan. These are the first records of Pleurocope from the Pacific and of Prethura from the Asian Pacific coast. Pleurocope iriomotensis differs from its congeners in having lateral spine-like processes on pereonite 4 and coxal plates of pereonite 7. Prethura tuberculata can be distinguished from its single congener in having a lateral short projection of protopod of pleopod 2.     

Two new species ofSilhouetted (Gobiidae) from northern Australia

Two new species of the tropical Indo-Pacific gobiid genusSilhouetted, S. evanida andS. hoesei, are described from Darwin and Queensland, and the Cobourg Peninsula, N.T., respectively.S. evanida occurs in pools on intertidal sand flats along beaches and sandy creek mouths, andS. hoesei more sublittorally at 5–6 m on silty sand. A key to western Pacific and Australian species is included.     

A new species of the genusamblyeleotris (pisces: Gobiidae) from Japan

A new shrimp-associated goby,Amblyeleotris melanocephala, is described on the basis of specimens from Okinoshima Island. Kochi Prefecture, and Okinawa Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The species is distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: head dark brown, a few yellow spots on pectoral fin base and opercular margin, 13 second dorsal and 13 anal fin soft rays, 20 pectoral fin rays, longitudinal scales 92–101, proportional length of interpelvic connecting membrane relative to longest pelvic fin ray (CM-value) 0.46–0.55, presence of a ventral frenum, midline of nape naked, sides scaled above midpoint between preopercle and opercle.     

A new species of Pomatoschistus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Southern Anatolia

Pomatoschistus anatoliae sp. n. is described from estuary of Göksu River on the Mediterranean coast of the Anatolia. It is distinguished from its congeners by the suborbital papilla pattern, meristic, and ecological features. DNA barcoding based on COI sequences revealed that there is a high nucleotide sequence divergence to the nearest neighbour. Kimura’s two parameter distances between P. anatoliae sp. n. and other species of Pomatoschistus and Knipowitchia have found to be at least 5.1%.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4592CF50-07B5-4C25-892F-5D009057675B     

A new species of Platygobiopsis from Vietnam (Teleostei: Perciformes: Gobiidae)

Platygobiopsis dispar sp. nov. is described on the basis of four specimens from the South China Sea off central Vietnam. The species differs from the only previously described species, P. akihito, in the morphology of the cephalic laterosensory system; in the distribution of scales on top of the head; in the absence of scales at the base of the pectoral-fin; in having 11 branched rays in the second dorsal and anal fins; in the lower predorsal, transverse, and lateral scale counts; and in other minor details. The genus Platygobiopsis is recorded for the South China Sea for the first time. The text was submitted by the author in English.