Eleotris acanthopomus Bleeker, 1853

Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Jufaili, Saud Al, Masoumi, Amir Hassan & Zarei, Fatah, 2022, Ichthyodiversity in southeastern Arabian Peninsula: Annotated checklist taxonomy, short description and distribution of Inland fishes of Oman, Zootaxa 5134 (4), pp. 451-503 : 477-478

11. Eleotris acanthopomus Bleeker, 1853 , Native

Fig. 30

Etymology: Eleotris : the name of a Nile fish, eleotris; acanthopomus : refers to the downward-pointing spine at the posterior margin of the preoperculum.

Common name: Spine-cheek Gudgeon.

Taxonomy: Eleotris acanthopomus was described by Bleeker [P.] 1853:275 [Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië v. 4 (no. 2)] from Western Sumatra, Indonesia.

Holotype (unique): RMNH 25934 .

Short description: D VI –I, 8; A I, 8; Pt 16; P2 I, 5; LR 51; TR 16; Pred. S 41; P-V 3/1 II II 1/8; V 10+15=25. The species of this genus have a downward-pointing spine at the posterior margin of the preoperculum, which is covered with skin. The species are distinguished by the differences in the sensory papillae. Eleotris acanthopomus has 5 transverse rows of papillae below the eyes. The 2nd and 4th transverse rows extend downwards beyond the longitudinal row below them, but the 3rd and 5th do not. Two longitudinal rows on the operculum do not touch at the posterior ends. Inhabits mainly brackish water. Takes up life at the bottom before it reaches 2 cm SL.

General distribution: Indo-West Pacific: Comoros, Seychelles; Indonesia east to Micronesia and French Polynesia, north to Ibaraki Prefecture ( Japan), south to northern Australia and New Caledonia. Habitat: freshwater, brackish, marine.

Distribution in Oman: Here, we report it for the first time in one locality (Wadi Hasik) located in the inland water body of Oman adjacent to the shore of the Arabian Sea ( Fig. 31 ).

Examined material: ZM-CBSU: S103-1, 2, Oman: Dhofar Governorate, Salalah, Wadi Hasik, at Hasik Village , 17°22’01.2”N, 55°16’58.8”E, H. R. Esmaeili, S.M. Al-Jufaili, A.H. Masoumi, 04 Jan. 2022 .

Figures

FIGURE 30. Eleotris acanthopomus, new record for Oman.

FIGURE 31. Distribution map of Eleotris acanthopomus, a new fish record for Oman. Pink: Southwestern Arabian Coast, green: Oman Mountains, and yellow: Arabian Interior.