EVIOTA BACATA - (GREENFIELD, ERDMANN & TEITELBAUM, 2024)
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Eviota (Genus)
Gobie pygmée perlé, Pearl dwarfgoby,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7, first dorsal fin triangular, all second dorsal-fin soft rays branched, last ray branched to base; Anal spine: 1; Anal soft rays: 7, all soft rays branched, last ray branched to base; Pectoral fin rays: 15-16, unbranched, fin pointed, reaching beyond center of second dorsal fin; Fifth pelvic fin ray 20%-49% of length of fourth ray; Pelvic fin membranes between branches well developed, basal membrane reduced; Caudal fin rays: 11 branched and 17 segmented; Lateral scale rows: 23-24; Transverse scale rows: 7; Urogenital papilla in male paratype male elongate, tapering with short papillae on end; Front of head sloped with an angle of about 60° from horizontal axis; Mouth slanted obliquely downwards, forming an angle of about 55° to horizontal axis of body, lower jaw projecting; Maxilla extending posteriorly to front of pupil; Anterior naris tube short, extending just to posterior margin of upper lip; Gill opening extending forward just past posteroventral edge of preoperculum. Max. length: 25.0 mm SL. Depth range: 2 - 30 m.
Color
Background color of body translucent gray, overlaid by spindle-shaped pattern from red pigment in scale-pocket tissue producing a spotted pattern; A midline yellow-white stripe extends along dorsal vertebral column anteriorly, breaking into spots after abdomen level; Lateral abdominal wall black overlain with a dorsal yellow-white stripe continuing from upper iris to rear end of abdomen and a lower series of 6 small evenly spaced round white spots from pectoral fin base to end of abdomen; Ventral abdomen whitish from anus across ventral thorax and head to tip of jaws; Upper head and snout reddish orange with golden-yellow stripes, one along midline from interorbital to level of naris followed by a short segment before upper lip, flanked on each side by a short nasal segment. Iris of eye reddish orange, upper portion crossed by a stripe above pupil, bright yellow anteriorly in line with lateral snout segments and becoming white across iris and continuous with upper abdominal white stripe, lower iris with a parallel short white stripe only on iris, dorsal sclera with bands of golden yellow. Rays and spines of fins pinkish with clear membranes. Against a dark background, red becomes purplish and orange gets darker.
Etymology
Eviota: from Greek prefix, ev-, eu-, = good or well, very + from Greek letter, iota = smallest letter in the Greek alphabet and often figuratively used to describe anything small or insignificant. Referring to Eviota epiphanes (Jenkins, 1903), which, at 1.0-1.9 cm in length, Jenkins claimed was the “smallest vertebrate that has up to this time been described”.
bacata: from Latin, bacatus = adorned with pearls. Referring to the string of round white spots across the dark abdomen.
Original description: Eviota bacata Greenfield, Erdmann & Teitelbaum, 2024 - Type locality: New Caledonia, Touho Lagoon, -20.600 S, 165.2661 E, depth 30 m, M.V. Erdmann & H. Lassauce, 15 November 2020.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Grande Terre (New Caledonia)
Gobie pygmée perlé, Pearl dwarfgoby,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7, first dorsal fin triangular, all second dorsal-fin soft rays branched, last ray branched to base; Anal spine: 1; Anal soft rays: 7, all soft rays branched, last ray branched to base; Pectoral fin rays: 15-16, unbranched, fin pointed, reaching beyond center of second dorsal fin; Fifth pelvic fin ray 20%-49% of length of fourth ray; Pelvic fin membranes between branches well developed, basal membrane reduced; Caudal fin rays: 11 branched and 17 segmented; Lateral scale rows: 23-24; Transverse scale rows: 7; Urogenital papilla in male paratype male elongate, tapering with short papillae on end; Front of head sloped with an angle of about 60° from horizontal axis; Mouth slanted obliquely downwards, forming an angle of about 55° to horizontal axis of body, lower jaw projecting; Maxilla extending posteriorly to front of pupil; Anterior naris tube short, extending just to posterior margin of upper lip; Gill opening extending forward just past posteroventral edge of preoperculum. Max. length: 25.0 mm SL. Depth range: 2 - 30 m.
Color
Background color of body translucent gray, overlaid by spindle-shaped pattern from red pigment in scale-pocket tissue producing a spotted pattern; A midline yellow-white stripe extends along dorsal vertebral column anteriorly, breaking into spots after abdomen level; Lateral abdominal wall black overlain with a dorsal yellow-white stripe continuing from upper iris to rear end of abdomen and a lower series of 6 small evenly spaced round white spots from pectoral fin base to end of abdomen; Ventral abdomen whitish from anus across ventral thorax and head to tip of jaws; Upper head and snout reddish orange with golden-yellow stripes, one along midline from interorbital to level of naris followed by a short segment before upper lip, flanked on each side by a short nasal segment. Iris of eye reddish orange, upper portion crossed by a stripe above pupil, bright yellow anteriorly in line with lateral snout segments and becoming white across iris and continuous with upper abdominal white stripe, lower iris with a parallel short white stripe only on iris, dorsal sclera with bands of golden yellow. Rays and spines of fins pinkish with clear membranes. Against a dark background, red becomes purplish and orange gets darker.
Etymology
Eviota: from Greek prefix, ev-, eu-, = good or well, very + from Greek letter, iota = smallest letter in the Greek alphabet and often figuratively used to describe anything small or insignificant. Referring to Eviota epiphanes (Jenkins, 1903), which, at 1.0-1.9 cm in length, Jenkins claimed was the “smallest vertebrate that has up to this time been described”.
bacata: from Latin, bacatus = adorned with pearls. Referring to the string of round white spots across the dark abdomen.
Original description: Eviota bacata Greenfield, Erdmann & Teitelbaum, 2024 - Type locality: New Caledonia, Touho Lagoon, -20.600 S, 165.2661 E, depth 30 m, M.V. Erdmann & H. Lassauce, 15 November 2020.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Grande Terre (New Caledonia)
Biology
It is found on inshore coastal and lagoonal reefs, including those subject to significant sedimentation, where it frequents complex reef habitat with abundant live coral or rugose rubble areas.
Similar species
Eviota atriventris (Greenfield & Suzuki, 2012) - Reported from Southeastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific: Malaysia and Indonesia, east to Philippines and New Ireland (Papua New Guinea), north to Ryukyu Islands (Japan), south to Queensland (Australia).
Last update: 5, May 2024
It is found on inshore coastal and lagoonal reefs, including those subject to significant sedimentation, where it frequents complex reef habitat with abundant live coral or rugose rubble areas.
Similar species
Eviota atriventris (Greenfield & Suzuki, 2012) - Reported from Southeastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific: Malaysia and Indonesia, east to Philippines and New Ireland (Papua New Guinea), north to Ryukyu Islands (Japan), south to Queensland (Australia).
Last update: 5, May 2024