OXYMETOPON COMPRESSUS - (CHAN, 1966)
Picture courtesy of: Alain Daoulas
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Ptereleotrinae (Subfamily) > Oxymetopon (Genus)
Robust ribbongoby, Robust ribbon-goby, Tanzakuhaze, タンザクハゼ, 侧扁窄颅塘鳢,
Synonymes
Oxymetopon formosum (Fourmanoir, 1967)
Oxymetopon compressum (Chan, 1966)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 30; Anal spine: 1; Anal soft rays: 29; Pectoral fin rays: 19-20; Pelvic fin rays: I, 4; Branchiostegal rays: 5; Caudal fin rays: 20; Predorsal scales: 21; Gill rakers on fist arch: 26. Numerous scales, at least 105 in longitudinal scale series; Depth of body: 4.3-4.7 in SL. A strongly compressed fish with smooth dorsal and ventral profiles. Head with a fleshy keel mediodorsally. Two nasal openings immediately in front of head. Three pore-like sensory openings: one in front near tip of snout, another above the eye, and a third one close behind eye. Mouth steeply oblique, its hind end not reaching a vertical through front of eye. Scales partly fallen off, numerous ctenoid on body and cycloid in front of first dorsal in nape region. Head completely scaleless. Scales extending onto greater part of caudal, but absent on other fins. Teeth pointed, in narrow bands of 2-3 rows in both jaws; Outer row distinctly larger. Canines present, two pairs in each jaw. First dorsal low, joined to second dorsal by a very low membrane. Second dorsal and anal similar in form, both with a pointed tip to their upper hind corner. Caudal conspicuously pointed, lanceolate. Pectoral broadly rounded. Ventral with third branched ray elongate, somewhat filamentous. Max. length: 24.0 cm SL. Depth range: 15 - 40 m.
Color
Head light yellowish brown, with three lateral light iridescent blue bars: the first from tip of snout through eye to above upper end of gill opening, the second from middle of jaw passing below eye to upper end of gill opening, the third from corner of mouth to end of gill cover at level through middle of base of pectoral. Upper and lower borders of eye each with a light pinkish red spot. Fleshy keel mediodorsally on head being of a light red with a touch of iridescent hue.
Body of a very pale brownish white, with three very light, but distinctly observable whitish pink patches on belly: the first medioventrally right behind isthmus, the second below middle of pectoral, the third medioventrally in front of anus. A very light iridescent greyish blue area along base of anal on body. A spot of iridescent red at upper end of base of pectoral. First dorsal with a light red upper border, and many whitish blue streaks running obliquely backwards. Second dorsal with a broad yellowish brown margin, and whitish blue streaks as in first dorsal.
Anal uniformly yellowish brown with a touch of light red, bordered at its base and margin by a fine, light grey-blue. Caudal of a light whitish blue ground color, with a patch of brown at its upper rays and a patch of red at its lower rays; These patches linked by a number of very fine light yellow vertical lines. Paired fins uniformly translucent with a touch of white, with exception of a patch of light pinkish red medially on ventral.
Etymology
Oxymetopon: from Greek, oxys = sharp + from Greek, meta = with, after, behind + from Ancient Greek, óps = eye, face, appearance. Referring to scaly, fleshy keel on brow.
compressus: from Latin, compressus = narrow. Referring to its “very compressed, ribbon-like shape,” a representative feature of the genus.
Original description: Oxymetopon compressus Chan, 1966 - Type locality: Taitam Bay, about 1500 yards northwest of Beaufort Island, Lemma Channel, Hong Kong, and by the author on board the FV/YUEN NING in January, 1963; Sea-bed of a soft mud, and depth from 8-9 fathoms.
Distribution
Indian ocean; Western Pacific: southeast coast of India, Gulf of Thailand, Hong Kong, Ryukyu Islands (Japan), east to Sumatra and Papua New Guinea, south to Low Isles (Queensland, Australia) and New Caledonia.
Biology
Inhabits deep mud slopes subject to strong currents. Adults are solitary or in pairs while juveniles form small groups. Aquarium fish.
Similar species
Oxymetopon cyanoctenosum (Klausewitz & Condé, 1981) - Reported from Western Pacific: Indonesia and Philippines, north to Taiwan, south to Papua New Guinea.
Last update: 31, May 2024
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Ptereleotrinae (Subfamily) > Oxymetopon (Genus)
Robust ribbongoby, Robust ribbon-goby, Tanzakuhaze, タンザクハゼ, 侧扁窄颅塘鳢,
Synonymes
Oxymetopon formosum (Fourmanoir, 1967)
Oxymetopon compressum (Chan, 1966)
-----------------------
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 30; Anal spine: 1; Anal soft rays: 29; Pectoral fin rays: 19-20; Pelvic fin rays: I, 4; Branchiostegal rays: 5; Caudal fin rays: 20; Predorsal scales: 21; Gill rakers on fist arch: 26. Numerous scales, at least 105 in longitudinal scale series; Depth of body: 4.3-4.7 in SL. A strongly compressed fish with smooth dorsal and ventral profiles. Head with a fleshy keel mediodorsally. Two nasal openings immediately in front of head. Three pore-like sensory openings: one in front near tip of snout, another above the eye, and a third one close behind eye. Mouth steeply oblique, its hind end not reaching a vertical through front of eye. Scales partly fallen off, numerous ctenoid on body and cycloid in front of first dorsal in nape region. Head completely scaleless. Scales extending onto greater part of caudal, but absent on other fins. Teeth pointed, in narrow bands of 2-3 rows in both jaws; Outer row distinctly larger. Canines present, two pairs in each jaw. First dorsal low, joined to second dorsal by a very low membrane. Second dorsal and anal similar in form, both with a pointed tip to their upper hind corner. Caudal conspicuously pointed, lanceolate. Pectoral broadly rounded. Ventral with third branched ray elongate, somewhat filamentous. Max. length: 24.0 cm SL. Depth range: 15 - 40 m.
Color
Head light yellowish brown, with three lateral light iridescent blue bars: the first from tip of snout through eye to above upper end of gill opening, the second from middle of jaw passing below eye to upper end of gill opening, the third from corner of mouth to end of gill cover at level through middle of base of pectoral. Upper and lower borders of eye each with a light pinkish red spot. Fleshy keel mediodorsally on head being of a light red with a touch of iridescent hue.
Body of a very pale brownish white, with three very light, but distinctly observable whitish pink patches on belly: the first medioventrally right behind isthmus, the second below middle of pectoral, the third medioventrally in front of anus. A very light iridescent greyish blue area along base of anal on body. A spot of iridescent red at upper end of base of pectoral. First dorsal with a light red upper border, and many whitish blue streaks running obliquely backwards. Second dorsal with a broad yellowish brown margin, and whitish blue streaks as in first dorsal.
Anal uniformly yellowish brown with a touch of light red, bordered at its base and margin by a fine, light grey-blue. Caudal of a light whitish blue ground color, with a patch of brown at its upper rays and a patch of red at its lower rays; These patches linked by a number of very fine light yellow vertical lines. Paired fins uniformly translucent with a touch of white, with exception of a patch of light pinkish red medially on ventral.
Etymology
Oxymetopon: from Greek, oxys = sharp + from Greek, meta = with, after, behind + from Ancient Greek, óps = eye, face, appearance. Referring to scaly, fleshy keel on brow.
compressus: from Latin, compressus = narrow. Referring to its “very compressed, ribbon-like shape,” a representative feature of the genus.
Original description: Oxymetopon compressus Chan, 1966 - Type locality: Taitam Bay, about 1500 yards northwest of Beaufort Island, Lemma Channel, Hong Kong, and by the author on board the FV/YUEN NING in January, 1963; Sea-bed of a soft mud, and depth from 8-9 fathoms.
Distribution
Indian ocean; Western Pacific: southeast coast of India, Gulf of Thailand, Hong Kong, Ryukyu Islands (Japan), east to Sumatra and Papua New Guinea, south to Low Isles (Queensland, Australia) and New Caledonia.
Biology
Inhabits deep mud slopes subject to strong currents. Adults are solitary or in pairs while juveniles form small groups. Aquarium fish.
Similar species
Oxymetopon cyanoctenosum (Klausewitz & Condé, 1981) - Reported from Western Pacific: Indonesia and Philippines, north to Taiwan, south to Papua New Guinea.
Last update: 31, May 2024