Nemateleotris magnifica Fowler, 1938

Tea, Yi-Kai & Larson, Helen K., 2023, Synopsis of the ptereleotrine goby genus Nemateleotris, with description of a new species from the western and central Pacific Ocean (Teleostei: Gobiidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71, pp. 248-266 : 254

Nemateleotris magnifica Fowler, 1938

Magnificent Dartfish Other names: Fire Dartfish; Magnificent Firefish; Red Firegoby ( Figs. 2A, C, E, 3 , 8D , 9D , 10A 1–A 2, 11; Table 2)

Nemateleotris magnificus Fowler, 1938: 131 (holotype USNM 99044, Buka Buka Island, Gulf of Tomini, Sulawesi); Whitley, 1964: 194 ( New Caledonia).

Nemateleotris magnifica – Randall & Allen, 1973: 350, figs. 1–3 (redescription); Fourmanoir & Laboute, 1976: 142 (checklist; New Caledonia); Masuda et al., 1984: 245, fig. 62 (checklist, Japanese archipelago); Myers, 1988 (checklist; Marianas Islands); Myers, 1989: pl. 118G (field guide, aquarium photograph of specimen from Micronesia); Kuiter & Debelius, 1994: 266 (field guide, underwater photograph from Southeast Asia); Randall et al., 1997: 415 (field guide, Great Barrier Reef & Coral Sea); Myers, 1999: pl. 164H (field guide, underwater photograph from Micronesia); Allen et al., 2003: 282 (field guide; underwater photograph); Randall, 2005: 564 (field guide, underwater photograph from Sulawesi); Kuiter & Debelius, 2006: 666 (underwater photograph from Malaysia); Allen et al., 2007: 222 (underwater photograph from Christmas Island); Fricke et al., 2011b (checklist; Vanuatu); Fricke et al., 2011a (checklist; New Caledonia); Allen & Erdmann, 2012: vol. 3, 994 (underwater photograph from Papua New Guinea); Randall & Connell, 2013: fig. 4 (underwater photograph from Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands); Allen et al., 2015: 286 (field guide, underwater photograph); Rosenstein, 2019: 272 (field guide; underwater photograph from Fiji).

Diagnosis. Dorsal-fin rays VI, I,28–32; anal-fin rays I,27–30; pectoral-fin rays 19–20; pelvic-fin rays I,5; segmented caudalfin rays 17; upper procurrent caudal-fin rays 10–12; lower procurrent caudal-fin rays 10–12; total caudal-fin rays 37–41; gill rakers 5–6 + 17–19 = 22–25; elevated portion of first dorsal fin very elongate and filamentous (up to 1.4 in SL); caudal fin round; pelvic fins white; anterior body pale pink to white, dusky red posteriorly.

Remarks. Nemateleotris magnifica is widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific, occurring throughout the Indian Ocean (excluding the Red Sea), east to the French Polynesian Islands of the south-eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the only member of the genus to be found in the Hawaiian Islands, where it is rare. It occurs at depths between 6 to 70 m but is rarely observed in depths greater than 28 m, preferring shallower reefs instead.

Etymology. Named after its splendid appearance in life.

Figures

Fig. 3. A pair of Nemateleotris magnifica (middle) in habitat typical of the genus, consisting of sand channels and loose coral rubble. Note the presence of other fishes frequenting this habitat, including Pomacentrus auriventris and Meiacanthus grammistes. Underwater photograph from 15 m, central Sulawesi. Photograph by: V. Chalias.

Fig. 8. Species of Nemateleotris and their putative hybrids. A, N. helfrichi, underwater photograph from Rarotonga, Cook Islands; B, N. lavandula, new species, underwater photograph from Siaes Tunnel, Palau; C, head profiles of N. helfrichi (left) and N. lavandula, new species, (right) showing difference in colouration of the head and maxilla; D, N. magnifica, underwater photograph from Bali; E–F, N. decora, showing variability in colouration of the anterior body, underwater photograph from Fiji and the Maldives (the latter = N. exquisita sensu Randall & Connell, 2013) respectively; G, putative N. magnifica × N. decora, underwater photograph from Izu Peninsula, Japan; H, putative N. magnifica × N. lavandula, new species, underwater photograph from Okinoerabu Island, Japan. Photographs by: A, P.Jaletzky; B, R. Spangler; C, Y.K. Tea; D, V. Chalias; E, J. Heard; F, M. Harada; G, Y. Yamada; H, K. Uehara.

Fig. 9. Frontal head profiles of selected species of Nemateleotris. A, N. helfrichi, aquarium specimen from Cook Islands; B, N. lavandula, new species, ZRC 62990, paratype in life, specimen from Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, Micronesia; C, N. decora, underwater photograph from Bali, Indonesia; D, N. magnifica, underwater photograph from Bali, Indonesia. Photographs by: A, B-box Aquarium, Japan; B, H.H. Tan; C–D, V. Chalias.

Fig. 10. Species of Nemateleotris in life (A1–E1) and preserved colouration (A2–E2). A1, N. magnifica, aquarium specimen from Indonesia, specimen not retained; A2, N. magnifica, ZRC 47157, 36.6 mm SL, Bali, Indonesia; B1, N. decora, aquarium specimen from Indonesia, specimen not retained; B2, N. decora, ZRC 47158, 51.3 mm SL, Bali, Indonesia; C1, N. helfrichi, aquarium specimen from the Cook Islands, specimen not retained; C2, N. helfrichi, ZRC 61811, 62.4 mm SL, Cook Islands; E1–E2, N. lavandula, new species, ZRC 62990, paratype, 38.9 mm SL, aquarium specimen from Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, Micronesia. Photographs by: A1–B1, E2, Y.K. Tea, C1, S.W. Michael; E1, H.H. Tan; A2–C2, K. Lim.

Fig. 1. Laterosensory pores and neuromasts based on holotype of Nemateleotris helfrichi (BPBM 11595). A, lateral view; B, dorsal view. Letter codes (in blue) for laterosensory pores follow Akihito et al. (1984). ANP, anterior nasal pore; PNP, posterior nasal pore; AOC, anterior oculoscapular canal; PC, preopercular canal; FDF, first dorsal fin. Arrowhead indicates position where gill membranes are attached to the isthmus.