RESEARCH ARTICLE
Nemateleotris exquisita,
a new microdesmid fish from the Indian Ocean (Perciformes:
Microdesmidae)
John E. Randall & Allan
D. Connell
Abstract
A key and
color illustrations are provided for the four species
of the microdesmid fish genus Nemateleotris:
N. magnifica (Fowler), N. helfrichi
(Randall & Allen), N. decora (Randall &
Allen), and the new species Nemateleotris exquisita,
described in this paper from nine specimens collected
from Mauritius (type locality), KwaZulu-Natal, and
the Red Sea from depths of 35-69 m. The new species
is distinguished from the western Pacific sibling
species N. decora by having a more slender
body, longer snout, usually shorter first dorsal spine,
and by color (the pale anterior part of the body is
yellow and extends more posterior). Also there appears
to be a difference in the maximum size of the two
species. The largest N. decora measures 49.5
mm standard length, compared to 66 mm for N. exquisita.
The first author photographed an individual of the
genus Nemateleotris in the Maldives in 1988
that is identified as a probable hybrid, N. decora
x N. exquisita.
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CITATION:
Randall, J.E. & Connell,
A.D. (2013) Nemateleotris exquisita,
a new microdesmid fish from the Indian Ocean (Perciformes:
Microdesmidae). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation,
8, 18-29.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1041970
publication date: 1 October
2013
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