A new marine goby of genus Flabelligobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Taiwan

Abstract

We report a new marine gobiid species of a rare genus, Flabelligobius, which was collected from the deep-water habitat off southern Taiwan. The new species, Flabelligobius smithi n. sp., is quite similar to the type species of the genus, F. fourmanoiri Smith, 1956, by the overall coloration. However, the species can be distinguished by the main following features: (1) both lips about equal in F. smithi but lower jaw is distinctly prominent in F. fourmanoiri; (2) pectoral fin rays modally 18 in F. smithi vs. 16 in F. fourmanoiri; (3) the squamation: longitudinal scale series 64–72 in F. smithi vs. 94–98 in F. fourmanoiri; and (4) many well-developed transverse extension of crossing rows a and c in F. smithi but only some reduced rows below row c in F. fourmanoiri.