Gymneleotris, BLEEKER, 1874

Tornabene, Luke, Van Tassell, James L., Gilmore, Richard G., Robertson, David Ross, Young, Forrest & Baldwin, Carole C., 2016, Molecular phylogeny, analysis of character evolution, and submersible collections enable a new classification of a diverse group of gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Nes subgroup), including nine new species and four new genera, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 177 (4), pp. 764-812 : 779

GYMNELEOTRIS BLEEKER, 1874

TYPE SPECIES: GYMNELEOTRIS SEMINUDUS (G UNTHER €, 1864: 304, DESCRIBED AS ELEOTRIS SEMINUDUS G UNTHER €, 1864, BY ORIGINAL DESIGNATION)

Diagnosis

Possesses all taxonomic characters present in most members of Gobiosomatini and the Gobiosoma group (first dorsal-fin spines VII, pterygiophore insertion pattern of 3 – 221110, 27 vertebrae – 11 precaudal and 16 caudal, hypurals 1 and 2 fused to some extent with hypurals 3 and 4 and the terminal vertebral element, one epural); pelvic fins well separated, lacking both anterior frenum and well-developed membrane connecting innermost rays; pelvic-fin rays 1 – 5 branched and never with flattened or fleshy tips; pelvic-fin rays extending posteriorly to anus, never reaching origin of anterior anal-fin rays; side of body with scales (modified basicaudal scales absent), scales embedded anteriorly; two anal-fin pterygiophores inserted before first haemal spine; papillae rows 5i and 5s separate; cephalic sensory canals present, pores B 0, F, and H 0 present; second dorsal-fin rays I,10; anal-fin rays I,9; body dark brown to black with prominent narrow white vertical or diagonal bars on head, body, and dorsal fins. The one known species occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Remarks

The monotypic Gymneleotris was recovered in a clade with the genera Chriolepis , Pycnomma (now as Chriolepis ), and Varicus imswe (now as Paedovaricus gen. nov.). Its position within this clade is unclear, as the sister relationship between Gymneleotris and Paedovaricus is weakly supported (Bayesian posterior probability of 0.69). Morphologically there is little evidence for a sister relationship between the two genera. At present, the only character distinguishing Gymneleotris from Chriolepis (as circumscribed herein) is the absence of modified basicaudal scales in Gymneleotris . The inclusion of additional eastern Pacific taxa and or phylogenetically informative characters may help resolve the position of this taxon and ultimately support a closer relationship (or nested relationship) with Chriolepis . Pending further investigation Gymneleotris is maintained here as a valid genus.