Iran. J. Ichthyol. (June 2019), 6(2): 98-105 Received: February 30, 2019 © 2019 Iranian Society of Ichthyology Accepted: May 31, 2019 P-ISSN: 2383-1561; E-ISSN: 2383-0964 doi: 10.22034/iji.v6i2.417 http://www.ijichthyol.org Research Article Lagoon shrimp goby, Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia (Bleeker, 1853) (Teleostei: Gobiidae), an additional fish element for the Iranian waters Reza SADEGHI1, Hamid Reza ESMAEILI*1, Mona RIAZI2, Mohamad Reza TAHERIZADEH2, Mohsen SAFAIE3,4 1Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. 2Marine Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Hormozgan, P.O.Box 3995, Bandar Abbas, Iran. 3Fisheries Department, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, P.O.Box. 3995, Iran. 4Mangrove Forest Research Center, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, P.O.Box. 3995, Iran. *Email: [email protected] Abstract: Shrimp-associated gobies are burrowing fish of small to medium size that are common inhabitants of sand and mud substrates throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Due to specific habitat preference, cryptic behavior, the small size and sampling difficulties, many gobies were previously overlooked and thus the knowledge about their distribution is rather scarce. This study presents lagoon shrimp goby, Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia, as additional fish element for the Iranian waters in the coast of Hormuz Island (Strait of Hormuz). The distribution range of lagoon shrimp goby was in the Western Central Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. This species is distinguished by the several traits such as body elongate and compressed, snout truncate, body brownish grey color with 11 vertical narrow whitish blue lines on the sides, largely greenish yellow on head and mandible, head and base of pectoral fin with numerous short blue oblique broken lines and spots with markings on the head and snout. Providing data on C. cyanotaenia which is now widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific, would offer particularly valuable information on the biogeography of species. Keywords: Taxonomy, Gobies, Shrimp-associated fishes, Indo-Pacific, Persian Gulf, Oman Sea. Citation: Sadeghi, R.; Esmaeili H.R.; Riazi, M.; Taherizadeh, M.R. & Safaie M. 2019. Lagoon shrimp goby, Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia (Bleeker, 1853) (Teleostei: Gobiidae), an additional fish element for the Iranian waters. Iranian Journal of Ichthyology 6(2): 98-105. Introduction including interactions between gobies and sessile As currently understood, Gobiiformes with about invertebrates such as corals and sponges, as well as 2228 valid species comprise the most species-rich free-living invertebrates including crustaceans (e.g. group of teleost fishes (Fricke et al. 2019) and show shrimps) and echinoderms (Allen et al. 2003; Myers a spectacular variety in morphology, biology, 1999; Thacker et al. 2011). These associations ecology and behavior. They are generally small fish engage gobies utilizing their mutualistic or and are mostly marine fishes, but roughly 10% of the commensal partner either directly as a habitat or population inhabit fresh waters. The most diverse shelter, or indirectly in that the partner builds a group of gobiiforms is the family Gobiidae with shelter that both animals occupy. Some gobies also worldwide distribution in marine, brackish and involve in mutualistic cleaning behaviors with other, inland waters of tropical and subtropical regions (Gill larger fishes (Böhlke & Robins 1968; Cote 2000; 1993; Nelson et al. 2016; Patzner et al. 2012; Thacker et al. 2011). Schliewen et al. 2018). This family comprises an Shrimp-associated gobies are burrowing fish of interesting group of symbionts, participating in a small to medium size that are common inhabitants of variety of mutualistic associations on coral reefs, sand and mud substrates throughout the tropical 98 Sadeghi et al.- A lagoon shrimp goby, Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia Fig.1. Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia: female, 111mm SL from coast of Hormuz Island (Strait of Hormuz). Indo-Pacific region (Greenfield & Allen 2018). The central Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean: Andaman shrimp excavates and continually maintains a Sea, Java, Brunei, and Indonesia, east to Papua New burrow, which is generally shared with one or two Guinea, Palau in Micronesia, East Indies, Singapore fish inhabitants (Allen 2015; Greenfield & Allen and India (Fricke et al. 2019; Kumar et al. 2015) (Fig. 2018). A variety of gobies associate with shrimps 1). The individuals of C. cyanotaenia are often found include 13 genera and approximately 150 species on fine sandy bottoms in protected areas, fine-sand (Fricke et al. 2019), of which Amblyeleotris Bleeker, lagoons or bays or silty coastal reefs often in turbid 1874 (39 species), Cryptocentrus Valenciennes, 1837 water with poor visibility with share a burrow with (36 species), and Vanderhorstia Smith, 1949 (29 an Alpheus sp. (Myers 1999). Although species) contain the majority of species (Greenfield C. cyanotaenia has been reported from western & Allen 2018). These fishes live in complex central Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean particularly mutualistic association with snapping shrimps of the the East Indian Archipelago (Kumar et al. 2015), but genus Alpheus Fabricius, 1798 (Allen 2015; Jaafar & there has been no record of it from the Iranian waters. Randall 2009). The alpheid/snapping shrimps, unlike Therefore, the purpose of this study is (1) to report of the gobies has very weak eyesight. The goby, with its C. cyanotaenia based on collected specimens from superior sensory systems, serves as the sentinel near the coast of Hormuz Island in the strait of Hormuz the burrow entrance (Allen 2015; Allen & Randall and (2) to provide its detailed morphology. 2011). Gobies as a sentinel stationed at the entrance of burrow, warn the shrimp of approaching a predator Materials and Methods (Thacker et al. 2011). Due to specific habitat Three specimens of C. cyanotaenia (ZM-CBSU F67- preference which often spend their time among the 1-3, 3, 82-111mm SL, 105-144mm TL) (Fig. 2) were cracks, cave and crevices (Walker & Wood 2005), collected by a fishing hooks in a recent survey from the small size and sampling difficulties, many gobies the coast of Hormuz Island (27°02.37'N, 56°24.99'E) were previously overlooked and thus the knowledge at 4-10 m depth in December 2018 (Figs. 1, 3). After about their distribution is rather scarce (Bogorodsky photography, the specimens were preserved in 70% et al. 2010). This situation is more obvious in shrimp- ethanol and catalogued/ deposited in the Zoological associated gobies which quickly take shelter in the Museum of Shiraz University, Collection of Biology burrow. Department, Shiraz (ZM-CBSU). All morphometric Of these shrimp gobies, the genus Cryptocentrus measurements were measured point to point by Valenciennes, 1837 currently comprises 36 valid calipers to the nearest 0.1mm under the species and all of them have elongate body, with stereomicroscope (Zeiss Stemi sv6). Morphometric small to medium size (Fricke et al. 2019). The species characters were given as standard and head length of this genus have been recorded from the western (Table 1). Meristic and morphometric methods 99 Iran. J. Ichthyol. (June 2019), 6(2): 98-105 Fig.2. Collecting site of Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia: coast of Hormuz Island (Strait of Hormuz). Fig.3. World distribution map of Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia, including new record site (blue solid square) and previous other reports (red solid circle). follow Randall (1994) and Chen & Miller (2008). centrus meleagris Ehrenberg, in Valenciennes, 1837: Meristic abbreviations are: D1 = First dorsal fin; D2 111, Massuah, Red Sea, by tautonomy). = Second dorsal fin; V = Ventral fin; A = Anal fin; P Etymology: Cryptocentrus: Greek, kryptos = hidden = Pectoral fin; PSD = Predorsal scales; LSS= + Greek, kentron = sting Longitudinal scales series; and TSS = Transverse The systematic difficulties of the genus scales series. For identification, Smith & Heemstra Cryptocentrus has already been discussed by Hoese (1987), Niem & Carpenter (2001) and Kumar et al. & Steene (1978), Winterbottom (2002), Hoese & (2015) were followed. Larson (2004), Agorreta et al. (2013) and Hoese (2019). These difficulties might be due to the Results existence of lacustrine populations, clinical Systematics: variations within their broad range and differential Family Gobiidae growth patterns in the young (Kumar et al. 2015). Subfamily Gobiinae Diagnosis: Based on Hoese & Larson (2004), the Genus Cryptocentrus Valenciennes, 1837 genus is characterized by a number of distinctive Cryptocentrus Valenciennes, 1837: 111 (Gobius features. Head compressed, with eyes placed high on cryptocentrus Valenciennes, 1837: 111=Crypto- sides of head, interorbital much narrower than eye. 100 Sadeghi et al.- A lagoon shrimp goby, Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia Table 1. Proportional measurements and meristic counts of new record of Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia (ZM-CBSU F671, ZM-CBSU F672), collected from the coast of Hormuz Island in the Persian Gulf (Strait of Hormuz). Expressed as percentages of the standard length. Damaged ZM-CBSU F67-3 80.7mm SL and 110.2mm TL has not been included. Characters F67-1 (Female) M2741_ F67-2 (Female) Mean Total length 144.4mm 105.45mm 124.9mm Standard Length 111mm 82.37mm 96.7mm Body depth /Sl 16.4 21.5 21.5 Body with /Sl 12.1 10.9 10.9 Head length /Sl 28.6 27.4 27.4 Snout length /Sl 6.6 7.2 7.2 Eye diameter /Sl 5.2 5.5 5.5 Caudal peduncle depth /Sl 9.4 8.3