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Iran. J. Ichthyol. (June 2019), 6(2): 98-105 Received: February 30, 2019 © 2019 Iranian Society of Accepted: May 31, 2019 P-ISSN: 2383-1561; E-ISSN: 2383-0964 doi: 10.22034/iji.v6i2.417 Archive of SID http://www.ijichthyol.org

Research Article

Lagoon shrimp goby, Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia (Bleeker, 1853) (Teleostei: ), an additional 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 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: , Gobies, Shrimp-associated , 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, 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 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 www.SID.ir

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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 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 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 www.SID.ir Iran. J. Ichthyol. (June 2019), 6(2): 98-105

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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 ; 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 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 www.SID.ir Sadeghi et al.- A lagoon shrimp goby, Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia

Archive of SID 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 8.3 Caudal peduncle length /Sl 19.6 14.0 14.0 Predorsal length /Sl 37.0 26.0 26.0 Preanal length /Sl 66.7 64.3 64.3 Prepelvic length /Sl 33.3 30.7 30.7 First dorsal base length /Sl 17.6 17.3 17.3 Anal base length /Sl 20.0 28.7 28.7 Caudal fin length /Sl 30.3 28.0 28.0 Pectoral fin length /Sl 23.7 23.5 23.5 Pelvic fin length /Sl 24.4 23.8 23.8 Meristic data Characters F67-1 (Female) F67-2 (Female) D1 rays (D1R) VI VI D2 rays (D2R) I+10 I+10 Pectoral rays (PR) 17.0 17.0 Pelvic rays (VR) 5.0 5.0 Anal rays (AR) I+9 I+9 Segmented caudal rays (SCR) 12.0 12.0 Pre dorsal scales (PDS) 29.0 28.0 Longitudinal scale rows from P base (LSS) 108.0 105.0 Transverse scale rows, D2 origin to anal (TSS) 28.0 28.0 Circumpeduncular scales (CS) 34.0 34.0

Mouth long, usually reaching to or beyond posterior arch and outer face of lower limb of second arch. edge of eye (13-17% SL). Head pores present. Gill Predorsal length 31-39% SL. Preanal length 60-64% opening extends to below posterior preopercular SL. margin, or well before margin in a few species. Skull Remarks: Hoese and Larson (2004) divided the group distinctly compressed. Sphenotic flange displaced into at least 5 morphological groups for convenience backward from orbit. No preopercular flange to of identification as they may not represent symplectic. Scales typically cycloid, if ctenoid then monophyletic groups. Based on Hoese (2019), three second dorsal and anal fin rays 1,9-10 and gill species of the Cryptocentrus strigilliceps complex opening narrow. Transverse pattern. Two (Cryptocentrus altipinna, C. caeruleomaculatus and parallel papilla rows on chin. Lower horizontal C. strigilliceps) are distinguished within the genus papilla row extends backward from second vertical mainly by having ctenoid scales posteriorly on the row. body (vs. all cycloid in other Cryptocentrus). Other Dorsal rays 1,9-12. Anal rays 1,9-11. Pelvic fins species in the genus have only cycloid scales on the connected, forming a cup-shaped disc. First dorsal- body, except for one or two species with ctenoid fin origin behind pelvic-fin insertion. Gill rakers scales posteriorly in juvenile stages only (see Hoese unossified on inner face of lower limb of first gill 2019).

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Archive of SID Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia (Bleeker, 1853) (Fig. 1) Discussion General description: Fin ray counts. D1: VI; D2: Due to their small size and often cryptic ecologies I+10; A: I+9; VR: 5; P: 17; PDS: 28-29; LSS: 105- and behavior, the full extent of gobiid diversity often 108; TSS: 28. goes unnoticed, making evolutionary and taxonomic See Figure 2 for general appearance; studies of the group hindered (Thacker & Roje 2011). morphometric and meristic data are given in Table 1. It is more obvious in not well-exploited regions such This new record characterized by body elongate and as the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz with new compressed, head length 27.4-28.6% SL, body depth faunal records (Sadeghi et al. 2017). The shrimp- greater than width, maximum depth of body 16.4- associated gobies are generally benthic fishes and 21.5% SL, snout truncate almost shorter than the eye, inhabit soft substrates, with mud, sand, and rubble. snout 27.1% HL, orbit diameter 20.7% HL, mouth Also they occupy various habitats in the substrate terminal, oblique and lower jaw slightly prominent, such as the burrows of invertebrates, cracks, cave and lips thick, maxillary extended almost half a diameter crevices (Francour et al. 2007; Thacker & Roje 2011; behind eye, teeth on both the rows slightly enlarged Walker & Wood 2005). For this reason and others and no canines, scales cycloid both in anterior and such as their small size, sampling difficulties, the posterior parts of body, head without scales except existence of remarkable mutualism between these above behind eye, nape scaled, first dorsal-fin origin gobies and alpheid shrimps, lack of using an above rear base of pelvic fins, first dorsal fin depth appropriate sampling method and cryptic habits, smaller than body depth, second, third and fourth these gobies were previously not recorded from spines of D1 are the longest, first dorsal fin connected Iranian waters, including the Persian Gulf, Strait of to a base of the first soft ray of second dorsal fin, Hormuz and Oman/Makran Sea. Cryptocentrus pectoral fin shorter than head, pelvic fins connected, cyanotaenia is previously recorded from the western forming a cup-shaped disc; united pelvic fins with central Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean: Andaman frenum, pelvic fin obtuse, not longer than pectoral Sea, Java, Brunei, and Indonesia, east to Papua New fin; caudal fin oblong 28-30% SL, slightly longer Guinea, Palau in Micronesia, East Indies, Singapore than head length, caudal peduncle depth 8.3-9.4% and recently India (Fricke et al. 2019; Kumar et al. SL. 2015) (Fig. 1). Here, this species is recorded for the Color: Body brownish grey color with 11 vertical first time in the Iranian waters at the coast of Hormuz narrow whitish blue lines on the sides; largely Island (Strait of Hormuz). The reason for not greenish yellow on head and mandible; head and base reporting of this species from the Iranian waters in of pectoral fin with numerous short blue oblique the past could be due to lack of using an appropriate broken lines and spots with markings on the head and sampling method or recent dispersal/introduction. It snout; 4-5 diffuse dark bars on side of head; yellow is a known fact that with different appropriate margin on 1st and 2nd dorsal fin; several longitudinal sampling method and especially with scuba-diving dark, orange and yellow stripes on anal fin; yellow more species of this genus and other genus of shrimp edges on anal and caudal fin; pelvic slightly darkish gobies can be known. violet and finely dotted with dark, pectorals hyaline and dotted with dark (Fig. 2). Acknowledgements Distribution. Western Pacific and eastern Indian We thank H. Larson for species confirmation. This Ocean: Andaman Sea, Brunei, and Indonesia, east to study was supported by Shiraz University and was New Guinea, India ((Tamilnadu, Mandapam; see approved by the Ethics Committee of Biology Kumar et al. 2015) and now in Iran (Hormuz Island, Department (SU-9330207). Strait of Hormuz) (Figs. 1, 3). 102 www.SID.ir Sadeghi et al.- A lagoon shrimp goby, Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia

Archive of SID References Gill, H. 1993. Description of a new genus of goby from Agorreta, A.; San Mauro, D.; Schliewen, U.; Van southern Australia, including osteological Tassell, J.L.; Kovačić, M.; Zardoya, R. & Rüber, L. comparisons with related genera. Records of the 2013. Molecular phylogenetics of Gobioidei and Western Australian Museum 16(2): 175-210. phylogenetic placement of European gobies. Greenfield, D. & Allen, G. 2018. Cryptocentrus nanus, a Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69(3): 619- new species of dwarf shrimpgoby from Fiji 633. (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Journal of the Ocean Science Allen, G.; Steene, R.; Human, P. & Loach, N. 2003. Reef Foundation 30: 28-38. Fish Identification Tropical Pacific. New World Hoese, D. 2019. A review of the Cryptocentrus Publication Inc. Jacksonville, Frorida, US. strigilliceps complex (Teleostei: Gobiidae), with Allen, G.R. 2015. Descriptions of two new species of description of a new species. Journal of the Ocean shrimpgobies (Gobiidae: Cryptocentrus and Science Foundation 32: 23-38. Tomiyamichthys) from Papua New Guinea. Journal Hoese, D.F. & Larson, H.K. 2004. Description of a new of the Ocean Science Foundation 16: 67-81. species of Cryptocentrus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Allen, G.R. & Randall, J.E. 2011. Two new species of northern Australia, with comments on the genus. The shrimp-associated gobies (Gobiidae: Cryptocentrus) Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of from the Western Pacific. Marine Biology Research the Northern Territory 20: 167-174. 7(6): 554-564. Hoese, D.F. & Steene, R. 1978. Amblyeleotris randalli, Bogorodsky, S.; Kovačić, M.; Ozen, O. & Bilecenoglu, a new species of gobiid fish living in association with M. 2010. Records of two uncommon goby species alphaeid shrimps. Records of the Western Australian (Millerigobius macrocephalus, Zebrus zebrus) from Museum 6(4): 379-389. the Aegean Sea. Acta Adriatica: international journal Jaafar, Z. & Randall, J.E. 2009. A pictorial review and of Marine Sciences 51(2): 217-222. key to the shrimp gobies of the genus Amblyeleotris Böhlke, J.E. & Robins, C.R. 1968. Western Atlantic of the Red Sea, with description of a new species. seven-spined gobies, with descriptions of ten new Smithiana Bulletin 10: 23-29. species and a new genus, and comments on Pacific Kumar, A.T.; Prakash, S.; Rao, R.V. & Gunasundari, V. relatives. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 2015. First record of two species of goby fish, Sciences of Philadelphia 120: 45-174. Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia Bleeker and Istigobius Chen, I.-S. & Miller, P.J. 2008. Two new freshwater diadema Steindachner (Perciformes: Gobiidae) in gobies of genus Rhinogobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) in Indian waters. Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences southern China, around the northern region of the 44(8): 1252-1256. South China Sea. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 19: Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes: A 225-232. Comprehensive Guide to the Coral Reef Fishes of Cote, I.M. 2000. Evolution and ecology of cleaning Micronesia. 3rd Edition. Coral Graphics, Guam. symbioses in the sea. Oceanography Marine Biology Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C. & Wilson, M.V. 2016. Fishes 38: 311-355. of the World. John Wiley & Sons. Francour, P.; Bilecenoglu, M. & Kaya, M. 2007. In situ Niem, V.H. & Carpenter, K.E.A. 2001. The living observation on new and rare gobies from the Eastern marine resources of the Western Central Pacific, vols. Mediterranean sea. Rapports et Procès-Verbaux des 5-6: Bony fishes part, 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae) Réunions de la Commission Internationale pour bony fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae) l'Exploration Scientifique de la Mer Méditerranée estuarine crocodiles, sea turles, sea snakes and marine 38(478): 1-28. mammals. FAO. Fricke, R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. & van der Laan, R. 2019. Patzner, R.; Van Tassell, J.L.; Kovacic, M. & Kapoor, Eschmeyer's catalog of fishes: genera, species B.G. 2012. The Biology of Gobies: Science references. https://www.calacademy.org/scientists/ Publishers, En eld, NH. projects/eschmeyers (accessed day month year). Randall, J.E. 1994. A new genus and six new gobiid

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Archive of SID fishes (Perciformes: Gobiidae) from Arabian waters. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 14: 317-340. Sadeghi, R.; Esmaeili, H. R.; Fricke, R. & Larson, H. 2017. New geographical record and morphological features of the Indo‑Pacific tropical sand goby, reichei (Bleeker, 1854) from Iranian coast of the Makran Sea (Teleostei, Gobiidae). Check List 13(5): 641-645. Schliewen, U.; Wirtz, P. & Kovačić, M. 2018. Didogobius janetarum sp. nov., a new cryptobenthic goby species from the Cape Verde Islands (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Zootaxa 4438(2): 381-393. Smith, M.M.; & Heemstra, P.C. 1987. Smith's Sea fishes. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York London Paris Tot yo. 1047 p. Thacker, C.E. & Roje, D.M. 2011. Phylogeny of Gobiidae and identification of gobiid lineages. Systematics and Biodiversity 9(4): 329-347. Thacker, C.E.; Thompson, A.R. & Roje, D.M. 2011. Phylogeny and evolution of Indo-Pacific shrimp- associated gobies (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 59(1): 168- 176. Walker, P. & Wood, E. 2005. The Coral Reef. Facts On File, Inc. Winterbottom, R. 2002. A redescription of Cryptocentrus crocatus Wongratana, a redefinition of Myersina Herre (; Gobiidae), a key to the species, and comments on relationships. Ichthyological Research 49(1): 69-75.

104 www.SID.ir 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 Archive of SID http://www.ijichthyol.org

مقاله پژوهشی گاوماهی ميگویی تاالبی (Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia (Bleeker, 1853 )ماهيان استخوانی حقيقی: گاوماهيان(، یک عنصر جدید آبهای ایران

رضا صادقی1، حميدرضا اسماعيلی*1، مونا ریاضی2، محمدرضا طاهری زاده2، محسن صفایی4،3

1آزمایشگاه تحقیقاتی ماهیشناسی و سیستماتیک مولکولی، بخش جانورشناسی، گروه زیستشناسی، دانشکده علوم، دانشگاه شیراز، شیراز، ایران. 2گروه زیستشناسی دریا، دانشکده علوم، دانشگاه هرمزگان، بندرعباس، ایران. 3گروه شیالت، دانشگاه هرمزگان، بندرعباس، ایران. 4گروه مرکز تحقیقات جنگلهای مانگرو، دانشگاه هرمزگان، بندرعباس، ایران.

چکيده: گاوماهیان همزیست با میگوها، ماهیان نقبزن با اندازه متوسطی هستند که ساکن بستر های ماسهای و گلی در سراسر مناطق گرمسیری هند و آرام هستند. به خاطر ترجیح زیستگاهی، رفتار مخفی، اندازه کوچک و مشکالت نمونهبرداری، بسیاری از گاوماهیان قبالً نادیده گرفته شدهاند. بنابراین دانش ما در مورد پراکنش آنها بسیار کم است. در این پژوهش گاوماهی میگویی تاالبی Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia بهعنوان یک ماهی جدید از آبهای ایرانی ساحل جزیره هرمز )تنگه هرمز( معرفی شد. محدوده پراکنش این گاوماهی در بخش غربی مرکزی اقیانوس آرام و بخش شرقی اقیانوس هند گزارش شده است. این گونه بهوسیله خصوصیات متعددی از قبیل بدن طویل و فشرده، پوزه کوتاه، رنگ خاکستری مایل به قهوهایی به همراه 11 خط آبی عمودی باریک مایل به سفید در طرفین بدن، رنگ زرد مایل به سبز بر روی سر و آرواره باال، وجود تعداد زیادی خط و نقطه اریب منفصل کوتاه آبی رنگ بر روی سر و قاعده باله سینهایی و بهطور مشخص بر روی سر و پوزه تشخیص داده می شود. فراهم نمودن داده در مورد گاوماهی میگویی تاالبی که هم اکنون بهطور وسیعی در ناحیه اقیانوس هند-آرام پراکنش یافته است، اطالعات ارزشمندی را در مورد جغرافیای زیستی این گونه در اختیار قرار خواهد داد. کلماتکليدی: تاکسونومی، گاوماهی، اقیانوس هند-آرام، خلیج فارس، دریای عمان.

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