ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Stuttgarter Beiträge Naturkunde Serie A [Biologie] Jahr/Year: 2012 Band/Volume: NS_5_A Autor(en)/Author(s): Fricke Ronald, Golani Daniel Artikel/Article: Limnichthys marisrubri, a new species of sand diver (Teleostei: Creediidae) from the Red Sea 287-292 Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A, Neue Serie 5: 287–292; Stuttgart, 30.IV.2012 287 Limnichthys marisrubri, a new species of sand diver (Teleostei: Creediidae) from the Red Sea RONALD FRICKE & DANIEL GOLANI Abstract Limnichthys marisrubri, a new species of the sand diver family Creediidae from the Gulf of Aqaba (Gulf of Eilat), Red Sea, is described on the basis of 22 specimens. The new species is very small (maximum standard length 22.1 mm), and is characterised by a combination of the following characters: origin of the anal fin preceding that of the dorsal fin, 22 – 24 dorsal-fin rays, 24 – 26 anal-fin rays, 13 –15 pectoral-fin rays, a (moderately to) strongly devel- oped lateral stripe, and 11–14 dorsal saddles, the posterior 2 – 4 of which reach the midlateral stripe. It is compared with related species. A checklist of and a key to species of the genus Limnichthys is presented. Keywords: Fishes, Red Sea, Limnichthys, Creediidae, taxonomy, new species, checklist, key. Zusammenfassung Limnichthys marisrubri, eine neue Art der Familie Creediidae aus dem Golf von Aqaba (Golf von Eilat), Rotes Meer, wird aufgrund von 22 Exemplaren beschrieben. Die neue Art ist sehr klein (maximale Standardlänge 22.1 mm) und ist durch eine Kombination der folgenden Merkmale charakterisiert: Beginn der Afterflossenbasis liegt vor dem Beginn der Rückenflossenbasis, Rückenflossenstrahlen 22 – 24, Afterflossenstrahlen 24 – 26, Brustflossenstrahlen 13 –15, laterales Band (mittel bis) stark entwickelt und 11–14 dorsale Sattelflecke, von denen die hinteren 2 – 4 das laterale Band erreichen. Die neue Art wird mit verwandten Arten verglichen. Weiterhin wird eine Checkliste und ein Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Gattung Limnichthys gegeben. Contents 1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................................287 2 Methods and Materials ..........................................................................................................................................288 3 Species account .....................................................................................................................................................288 4 Checklist of the species of the genus Limnichthys ................................................................................................291 5 Key to species of the genus Limnichthys ..............................................................................................................291 6 References .............................................................................................................................................................291 1 Introduction The family Creediidae was first revised by NELSON (1978), who recognised eight genera and 13 species as The sand diver (or sandburrower, sandlance) family valid. NELSON (1979) examined the osteology of the two Creediidae is a group of fishes living in marine waters of New Zealand species of Limnichthys, and commented on the Indo-West Pacific. They burrow in sand and gravel bot- other creediids, removing Squamicreedia obtusa from the toms in coastal waters of the continental shelf. Most spe- Creediidae and placing it in the Percophidae. Two addi- cies are found in very shallow waters, while a few occur tional species of Creedia from Australia were described down to 100 m (NELSON 1978, 2001). by NELSON (1983). NELSON (1985) examined the interre- Creediids are identified as a family by their elongate lationships of the Creediidae at the generic level based on and compressed body, a small body size of less than 8 cm, a a detailed osteological examination; he postulated a close fleshy snout that is projecting beyond the lower jaw, which relationship of the Creediidae and the Percophidae and is bordered by a row of cirri, and about 35 – 60 lateral line Trichonotidae, and recognised seven valid creediid genera scales, most of which bearing a posterior extension (for de- comprising 16 valid species. SHIMADA & YOSHINO (1987) tails see NELSON 1985, 2001). Within the family, the genus described another species, Creedia bilineatus, from the Limnichthys is characterised by the combination of 5 soft Yaeyama Islands, Japan. In her PhD thesis, LUCENA ROSA pelvic-fin rays, the anal, pelvic and pectoral-fin rays un- (1993) reviewed the taxonomy of the Creediidae; in the ge- branched, usually 11–14 pectoral-fin rays, the lowermost nus Limnichthys, she treated two subspecies, Limnichthys not thickened, 33 or less dorsal-fin rays, 34 or less anal-fin nitidus nitidus and Limnichthys nitidus donaldsoni (LU- rays (NELSON 1978). CENA ROSA 1993: 43 – 46). YOSHINO et al. (1999) described 288 STUTTGARTER BEITRÄGE ZUR NATURKUNDE A Neue Serie 5 another species from Japan, Limnichthys orientalis. NEL- Comparative material SON (2001: 3314) mentioned LUCENA ROSA’s work and ten- Limnichthys donaldsoni: SMNS 17824 (3), Cook Islands, Ai- tatively treated the species Limnichthys nitidus and L. don- tutaki Island; SMNS 22939 (1), New Caledonia, Loyalty Is- aldsoni as a species complex. LANGSTON (2004) examined lands, Lifou Island; SMNS 22979 (1), New Caledonia, Loy- the gonad morphology and sex change of Hawaiian Islands alty Islands, Lifou Island. Limnichthys fasciatus: SMNS 13865 (5), Australia, New South creediids, including Limnichthys donaldsoni. SHIBUKAWA Wales, Treachery Point; SMNS 21414 (5), Australia, New (2010) described Myopsaron nelsoni from the Ogasawara South Wales, Wagonga Head; SMNS 24855 (2), Taiwan, Islands (Japan), bringing the total number of genera in the south coast; SMNS 26543 (1), New Caledonia, Grande Terre, family to 8, and of species-group taxa to 19. south coast, Goro. During the examination of Red Sea creediid material Limnichthys nitidus: SMNS 16887 (1), Mauritius; SMNS 17046 which was previously misidentified as Limnichthys niti- (3), Réunion. dus, it became clear that the species of Limnichthys in the Limnichthys orientalis: AMS I.38816-001 (1 paratype), Japan, Gulf of Aqaba (Gulf of Eilat) is distinct from other species Yaeyama Islands, Ishigaki Island. Limnichthys polyactis: SMNS 13984 (12), New Zealand, South of Limnichthys, including Limnichthys nitidus, and rep- Island, Jackson Bay. resents an undescribed species, which is described in the Limnichthys rendahli: NMNZ 3967 (4), New Zealand, South Is- present paper. land, Foveaux Strait. Acknowledgments We would like to thank A. BARANES and the staff of the In- teruniversity Institute Eilat for logistic support of this study. We 3 Species account are grateful to the following individuals who gave permission to examine specimens under their care, or provided catalogue num- Limnichthys marisrubri n. sp. bers: D. F. HOESE, J. LEIS, M. MCGROUTHER, J. PAXTON (AMS); (Figs. 1– 3) P. P RUVOST (MNHN); C. D. PAULIN, C. D. ROBERTS, A. L. STEWART (NMNZ); S. SMITH, J. T. WILLIAMS (USNM). We thank S. BO- Creediidae indet.: CLARK 1971: 4 (Eilat, Israel, Gulf of Aqaba). GORODSKY (Omsk, Russia) and H. IMAMURA (Laboratory of Ma- ?Limnichthys nitidus (non Smith, 1958): NELSON 1978: 360 rine Biology and Biodiversity, Systematic Ichthyology, Hokkaido (Egypt, Gulf of Aqaba; tentatively identified, may be a new University, Hakodate, Japan) for critically reviewing the manu- species). script, and for several useful suggestions and comments; S. BO- Limnichthys nitidus nitidus (non Smith, 1958): LUCENA ROSA GORODSKY also provided colour photographs of Limnichthys spp. 1993: 43 – 48 (part). Limnichthys nitidus (non Smith, 1958): COZZI & CLARK 1995: 327 (darting behaviour; Marsa Muqabelah, Egypt, Gulf of 2 Methods and Materials Aqaba). Methods follow NELSON (1978: 351– 352). The proportions are given as parts per thousand of the standard length (SL). Cau- Material dal-fin ray counting method follows FRICKE (1983). In descriptive H o l o t y p e : HUJF 19903 (22.05 mm SL), Eilat, north section, the data of the holotype is given first, followed by those beach, Gulf of Aqaba (Gulf of Eilat), northern Red Sea, Is- of the paratypes, in parentheses. The midlateral stripe on the body rael, 29° 32′ 41″ N 34° 58′ 22″ E, 0 –1.2 m depth, D. GOLANI, is strongly expressed if it is dark brown all along the body; it is 9 Mar. 2010. moderately expressed if parts are dark brown and parts are pale; P a r a t y p e s : All from Eilat, north beach, Gulf of Aqaba it is weakly expressed if all of it is pale brown, disconnected, or (Gulf of Eilat), northern Red Sea, Israel, 29° 32′ 41″ N absent. The genus and species classification follows ESCHMEYER 34° 58′ 22″ E, 0 –1.2 m depth (total 21 specimens): BMNH & FRICKE (2011), unless otherwise noted. The museum abbrevia- 2011.6.26.1 (1 specimen, 21.4 mm SL), D. GOLANI, 30 Mar. 2011; tions follow FRICKE & ESCHMEYER (2011). The key is based on HUJF 18609 (1 specimen, 22.05 mm SL), D. GOLANI, 9 Mar. 2010; NELSON (1978: 353), but was adapted and modified; subsequently HUJF 20066 (5 specimens, 19.2 – 22.1 mm SL), D. GOLANI, described species are added. 29 Mar. 2011; HUJF 20060 (12 specimens, 15.2 – 21.2 mm SL), D. GOLANI, 30 Mar. 2011; MNHN 2011-0210 (1 specimen, Abbreviations of