VANDERHORSTIA ORNATISSIMA - (SMITH, 1959)
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobioidei (Suborder) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Vanderhorstia (Genus)
Gobie orné, Ornate shrimpgoby, Ornate prawn-goby, Yatsushihaze, ヤツシハゼ, 黄默梵鰕虎,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-14; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 13; Pectoral rays: 17-20; Longitudinal scale series: 57-65; Transverse scale rows: 13-15; Scales cycloid, larger posteriorly, becoming weakly ctenoid posterior to anterior third of second dorsal fin; Chest and abdomen scaled; Head and nape naked; Gill raker: 2-3 + 7-9; Body depth: 5.7-6.5 in SL; Head and body moderately compressed; Head length: 3.7-4.15 in SL; Eye: 3.85-5.55 in head length, equal to snout length; Mouth oblique, the lower jaw projecting; Maxilla reaching to below posterior half of eye; Tongue truncate; Gill opening extending forward to below posterior margin of preopercle; Third ray of the first dorsal fin prolonged and filamentous: 2.3-2.7 in SL; Caudal fin pointed: 2.6-3.3 in SL; Pectoral fins: 1.2 times head length; Pelvic fins reaching anus; Pelvic frenum large. Max. length: 8.5 cm TL. Depth range: 2 - 15 m.
Color
Pale greenish grey dorsally, white ventrally, with numerous blue dots; Three longitudinal rows of dusky yellow blotches, one dorsal, one lateral, and one on side of abdomen; Blotches bordered by blue lines that continue ventrally as parallel blue and yellow lines, except posteriorly where they encircle blotches; Head with oblique rows of short yellow dashes bordered on each side by blue; An oblique dark brown dash on cheek; base of pectoral fins with two small, well-separated, dark brown spots.
Etymology
Vanderhorstia: in honnor of Professor C.J. van der Horst (1889-1951) of the Witwatersrand University (South Africa) for a donnation of fishes collection.
ornatissima: from Latin, ōrnātus = adorned, decorated, having been adorned + from Latin suffix, -issimus = added to an adjective noun to form its superlative grade.
Original description: Vanderhorstia ornatissima Smith, 1959 - Type locality: Pinda, Mozambique, western Indian Ocean.
Distribution
Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Madagascar Seychelles and Réunion (Mascarenes) east to Marquesas Islands, north to southern Japan and Taiwan, south to Australia, New Caledonia and Rapa.
Biology
Inhabits shallow sandy areas among seagrass and in silty lagoons amongst rubble. Lives in burrows with alpheid shrimp species. Feeds on small benthic invertebrates.
Similar species
Vanderhorstia dawnarnallae (Allen, Erdmann & Mongdong, 2019) - Reported from western Pacific: West Papua Province, Indonesia.
Gobie orné, Ornate shrimpgoby, Ornate prawn-goby, Yatsushihaze, ヤツシハゼ, 黄默梵鰕虎,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-14; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 13; Pectoral rays: 17-20; Longitudinal scale series: 57-65; Transverse scale rows: 13-15; Scales cycloid, larger posteriorly, becoming weakly ctenoid posterior to anterior third of second dorsal fin; Chest and abdomen scaled; Head and nape naked; Gill raker: 2-3 + 7-9; Body depth: 5.7-6.5 in SL; Head and body moderately compressed; Head length: 3.7-4.15 in SL; Eye: 3.85-5.55 in head length, equal to snout length; Mouth oblique, the lower jaw projecting; Maxilla reaching to below posterior half of eye; Tongue truncate; Gill opening extending forward to below posterior margin of preopercle; Third ray of the first dorsal fin prolonged and filamentous: 2.3-2.7 in SL; Caudal fin pointed: 2.6-3.3 in SL; Pectoral fins: 1.2 times head length; Pelvic fins reaching anus; Pelvic frenum large. Max. length: 8.5 cm TL. Depth range: 2 - 15 m.
Color
Pale greenish grey dorsally, white ventrally, with numerous blue dots; Three longitudinal rows of dusky yellow blotches, one dorsal, one lateral, and one on side of abdomen; Blotches bordered by blue lines that continue ventrally as parallel blue and yellow lines, except posteriorly where they encircle blotches; Head with oblique rows of short yellow dashes bordered on each side by blue; An oblique dark brown dash on cheek; base of pectoral fins with two small, well-separated, dark brown spots.
Etymology
Vanderhorstia: in honnor of Professor C.J. van der Horst (1889-1951) of the Witwatersrand University (South Africa) for a donnation of fishes collection.
ornatissima: from Latin, ōrnātus = adorned, decorated, having been adorned + from Latin suffix, -issimus = added to an adjective noun to form its superlative grade.
Original description: Vanderhorstia ornatissima Smith, 1959 - Type locality: Pinda, Mozambique, western Indian Ocean.
Distribution
Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Madagascar Seychelles and Réunion (Mascarenes) east to Marquesas Islands, north to southern Japan and Taiwan, south to Australia, New Caledonia and Rapa.
Biology
Inhabits shallow sandy areas among seagrass and in silty lagoons amongst rubble. Lives in burrows with alpheid shrimp species. Feeds on small benthic invertebrates.
Similar species
Vanderhorstia dawnarnallae (Allen, Erdmann & Mongdong, 2019) - Reported from western Pacific: West Papua Province, Indonesia.
Vanderhorstia fulvopelvis (Suzuki & Chen, 2014) - Reported from Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
Vanderhorstia phaeosticta (Randall, Shao & Chen, 2007) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
Vanderhorstia wayag (Allen & Erdmann, 2012) - Reported from Western Pacific: Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, Indonesia.