taxonID	type	description	language	source
03910677FB47FFCFFF74FE5DFAF927AA.taxon	description	[New English name: Goat Velvetfish] Figs. 1 – 3; Table 1	en	Wada, Hidetoshi, Motomura, Hiroyuki (2026): A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines. Zootaxa 5787 (2): 377-384, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9
03910677FB47FFCFFF74FE5DFAF927AA.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. MNHN-IC 2025 - 0487 (reregistered from MNHN-IC 2005 - 0744, 1 of 7 specimens, originally registered as Liocranium praepositum Ogilby 1903), 42.4 mm SL, north of Panay Island, Philippines (12 ° 01 ' 06 – 12 " N, 121 ° 56 ' 36 " – 57 ' 18 " E), MUSORSTOM 3: stn CP 134, 92 – 95 m depth, beam trawl, 5 June 1985, RV Coriolis.	en	Wada, Hidetoshi, Motomura, Hiroyuki (2026): A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines. Zootaxa 5787 (2): 377-384, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9
03910677FB47FFCFFF74FE5DFAF927AA.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. A species of Cocotropus with the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays XII, 10; anal-fin rays II, 6; pectoral-fin rays 13; segmented lower caudal-fin rays 6; total vertebrae 26; lacrimal spine short, its length 81.4 % of upper-jaw length; pectoral fin short, its posterior tip not reaching anus; caudal fin short, its length 25.4 % of SL; no papillae on posterior portion of upper jaw; 7 pairs of papillae on ventral surface of lower jaw; interneural space between 7 th and 8 th vertebrae lacking dorsal-fin spine proximal pterygiophores; bases of 1 st – 4 th dorsal-fin spines anterior to 3 rd neural spine; 5 preopercular spines; vomerine teeth absent; 2 nd mandibular pores separated; body of preserved specimen with irregular dark smudges.	en	Wada, Hidetoshi, Motomura, Hiroyuki (2026): A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines. Zootaxa 5787 (2): 377-384, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9
03910677FB47FFCFFF74FE5DFAF927AA.taxon	description	Description. Counts and measurements (percentages of SL) are given in Table 1. Body oblong, laterally compressed, covered with modified scales forming small, conical prickles. Head moderately large, compressed; modified scales present on cheek, opercle and base of anterior portion of dorsal fin, other areas naked. Dorsal profile of head concave anterior to anterior margin of orbit. Orbit moderately large, its diameter 25.7 % of head length. Lacrimal large, movable, with 2 short knob-like spines ventrally; anterior lacrimal spine canted posteroventrally (ca. 80 ° to horizontal axis of head and body); posterior lacrimal spine canted posteriorly (ca. 50 °), its tip not reaching anterior margin of orbit; surface of lacrimal smooth, without spines or knobs. Pores on anterior base of lacrimal (below anterior nostril), ventral margin of lacrimal (base of anterior lacrimal spine), and interspace between anterior and posterior lacrimal spines. Suborbital ridge with 2 bluntly pointed spines directed ventrolaterally; anterior spine below anterior margin of orbit; posterior spine much larger, below middle of pupil. Three suborbital pores opening along suborbital ridge; single pore above posterior edge of 2 nd suborbital spine base. Interorbital ridges distinct, but not strongly sculptured, covered by thick skin, running parallel from snout tip to posterior tip of nasals, thereafter curving inward and terminating before base of 1 st dorsal-fin spine; ridge interspace a very shallow groove; frontal region smooth, without fleshy knob or papillae at ends of interorbital ridges. No spines on nasals. Anterior nostril a short simple tube, located on midpoint between snout tip and anterior margin of orbit; posterior nostril less prominent, a simple pore with slightly raised rim, situated just before orbit, level with upper edge of pupil. Three interorbital pores: anteriormost on snout tip, intermediate between nostrils, and posteriormost near anterodorsal edge of orbital rim. Single supraorbital pore below 2 nd dorsal-fin spine base. Bluntly pointed, broad supraocular spine on dorsal edge of orbit. Preopercle with 5 robust blunt spines; 1 st (dorsalmost) largest, knob-like, slightly projecting laterally (slightly above horizontal body axis), with supplemental spine; others with broader tips, directed perpendicular to curve of preopercular margin, gradually reducing in length; 5 th spine small but prominent. Preopercular pores (6 in total): 2 pores above 1 st and below last preopercular spines respectively, remaining 4 pores located one between each spine. Opercular ridges poorly defined, with 2 spines; upper opercular spine anterior to rear margin of opercle membrane, directed posteriorly, with low blunt point; lower opercular spine slightly smaller, directed posteroventrally. Dorsal tip of operculum without free flap. Ventral margin of interopercle smooth. Cleithrum with robust ridge but lacking spinous point. Pterotic spine small, relatively pointed. Posttemporal spine large, broadly based, with blunt tip. Two postorbital pores on pterotic. Supracleithral spine posterior to and slightly below posttemporal spine, much smaller and more slender than latter, with sharply pointed tip below midpoint of 4 th and 5 th dorsal-fin spine bases; single postorbital pore just above spine. Parietal spine prominent, below and slightly posterior to 3 rd dorsal-fin spine, slightly anterior to vertical through pterotic spine base end, with bluntly pointed tip, slightly canted laterally; posttemporal pores just above and below base of spine. No other prominent spines on head. Ventral surface of mandible with 7 pairs of papillae. Five mandibular pores present, all separated; 1 st pore at tip of lower jaw; 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th pores just behind 1 st, 2 nd, 5 th, and 7 th papillae, respectively (Fig. 2). Ventral edge of dentary slightly projecting medially. Both lips naked, smooth, without scales and papillae. Maxilla broad, naked, without papillae, its posterior margin almost straight, just reaching to vertical through mid-orbit when mouth closed. Both jaws with teeth in broad villiform bands, broadest anteriorly (ca. 8 tooth rows), no teeth enlarged. Vomer and palatines edentulous. Tongue stout, broadly rounded. Gill rakers rudimentary low knobs, unevenly spaced, 2 on upper limb and 6 – 8 on lower limb of first arch. No slit behind 4 th gill arch. Gill opening wide, uppermost end just below level of upper edge of orbit. Branchiostegal membranes not fused to isthmus. Isthmus with fleshy extension anteriorly, slightly expanded; anterior tip just reaching level of 5 th mandibular pore (Fig. 2). Lateral line gently sloping posteroventrally from 5 th dorsal-fin spine base to middle of caudal-fin base. Tubed scales enlarged, not armed with cirri; last scale on caudal-fin base. Interneural space between 7 th and 8 th vertebrae lacking dorsal-fin spine proximal pterygiophores; bases of 1 st – 4 th dorsal-fin spines anterior to 3 rd neural spine. Dorsal fin continuous, without distinct notch; anterior portion (1 st – 3 rd spines) strongly elevated. First dorsal-fin spine insertion above middle of orbit; dorsal-fin spines strong, rigid, with bluntly pointed tip (not expanded); 1 st spine longest, subsequent spines gradually decreasing in length to 6 th, thereafter gradually longer to 9 th; 9 th – 12 th spines similar length, but 10 th slightly shorter. First dorsal-fin soft ray length similar to that of last spine; 3 rd soft ray longest, but shorter than longest dorsal-fin spine; all soft rays unbranched; dorsal-fin membranes weakly incised, connected posteriorly to caudal peduncle about half pupil diameter anterior to upper caudal-fin base. Anal fin with 2 weak spines; 1 st spine base below 1 st dorsal-fin soft ray base; 4 th soft ray longest; all soft rays unbranched, with distal tips moderately curved posteriorly; membranes moderately incised, connected posteriorly to caudal peduncle by moderately long membrane; end of anal-fin membrane anterior to vertical through last dorsal-fin soft ray base. Pectoral fin moderately long, with rounded margin; all rays unbranched; tips of median rays protruding from membrane, 7 th ray longest, its tip not reaching anus, reaching vertical through base of 10 th dorsal-fin spine base when adpressed. Pelvic fin small, below 4 th dorsal-fin spine base, with single non-pungent spine and 3 relatively robust soft rays; all soft rays unbranched, 1 st ray longest, reaching vertical through 7 th dorsal-fin spine base when depressed; membrane not adnate to abdomen. Caudal fin with slightly rounded contour, with 7 (upper) + 6 (lower) segmented rays; all rays unbranched. Bases of dorsal, anal, pectoral and caudal fins covered with modified scales forming small, conical prickles, extending onto most membranes and elements of pectoral fin only. Preserved coloration: Body basally light brown. Irregular dark smudges on lateral surface of body, head, and dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins; smudges relatively dense on lateral side of lacrimal spine, cheek, and anterior one-third of dorsum. Pectoral fin with a single dark round blotch including a large pale spot posteriorly. Caudal fin with a single distinct dark band and irregular indistinct bands.	en	Wada, Hidetoshi, Motomura, Hiroyuki (2026): A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines. Zootaxa 5787 (2): 377-384, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9
03910677FB47FFCFFF74FE5DFAF927AA.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Currently known only from north of Panay Island, Philippines, western Pacific Ocean.	en	Wada, Hidetoshi, Motomura, Hiroyuki (2026): A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines. Zootaxa 5787 (2): 377-384, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9
03910677FB47FFCFFF74FE5DFAF927AA.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The species name “ kanding ”, treated as noun in apposition, and meaning “ goat ” in Hiligaynon, the regional language of Panay, refers to the distinctive goat-like head of the new species. The new English name also alludes to this feature.	en	Wada, Hidetoshi, Motomura, Hiroyuki (2026): A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines. Zootaxa 5787 (2): 377-384, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9
03910677FB47FFCFFF74FE5DFAF927AA.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Cocotropus kanding and C. larvatus, to which the former is most similar, are easily distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays XII – XIII, 8 – 10; anal fin with 2 spines; pectoral-fin rays 13 or 14; segmented lower caudal-fin rays 6; total vertebrae 26 – 28; lacrimal spine length shorter than upper-jaw length; no papillae on posterior portion of upper jaw; papillae present on lower jaw; bases of 1 st – 4 th dorsal-fin spines anterior to 3 rd neural spine; 5 preopercular spines; and 2 nd mandibular pores separated (Figs 1 – 3; Table 1; Poss & Allen 1987; Poss 1999; Imamura & Shinohara 2003, 2008; Fricke 2004; Johnson 2004; Imamura et al. 2010; Matsunuma et al. 2021). However, C. kanding differs from C. larvatus, widely distributed in tropical to subtropical regions of the eastern Indian Ocean to the western Pacific (Poss & Allen 1987; Allen & Erdmann 2024), in having 6 anal-fin soft rays (vs. 7 – 9 in C. larvatus), a short pectoral fin, the posterior tip not reaching to the anus (vs. long, its tip extending slightly beyond the anus), short caudal fin, its length 25.4 % of SL (vs. long, its length 29.1 – 33.2 % of SL), the interneural space between the 7 th and 8 th vertebrae lacking dorsal-fin spine proximal pterygiophores (vs. similar interneural space between 8 th and 9 th vertebrae), vomerine teeth absent (vs. present), and the body of a preserved specimen with irregular dark smudges (vs. small darker brown specks and brown elongate markings scattered over the head, body, and fins) (Figs 2, 3; Table 1; Poss & Allen 1987; Imamura & Shinohara 2003; Matsunuma et al. 2021). Most species of Cocotropus have been found in complex rocky reef habitats in depths greater than 40 m (Poss & Allen 1987; Imamura & Shinohara 2003, 2008; Johnson 2004; Imamura et al. 2010; Allen & Erdmann 2024), making detailed surveys using, e. g. SCUBA, difficult to conduct. As a result, species diversity estimates of the group may be low due to limited investigations of deeper marine environments. These factors have likely also contributed to the descriptions in recent years, of several new species of Cocotropus, being limited to single specimens, accidentally collected by beam trawl or dredge (this study; Fricke 2004; Prokofiev 2010; Matsunuma et al. 2021).	en	Wada, Hidetoshi, Motomura, Hiroyuki (2026): A new species of the velvetfish genus Cocotropus (Synanceiidae: Aploactininae) from the Philippines. Zootaxa 5787 (2): 377-384, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.9
