Cabillus macrophthalmus (Weber, 1909)

Kovačić, Marcelo & Bogorodsky, Sergey V., 2013, Two new species of Cabillus (Perciformes: Gobiidae) and the first record of Cabillus macrophthalmus from the Western Indian Ocean, Zootaxa 3717 (2), pp. 179-194 : 191-193

Cabillus macrophthalmus (Weber, 1909)

( Fig. 8 )

Quisquilius macrophthalmus Weber, 1909:156 (Bay at Tanahdjampea Island, Indonesia).

Material examined. Holotype, ZMA.PSIC. 110952, female, SL 22.9 mm (caudal fin too damaged to measure), off Tanahdjampea Island, Flores Sea, Indonesia, coll. M. Weber, 0 6 May 1899; USNM 313499, 2 males 24.5+7.0 mm and 19.9+ 5.9 mm, Western Indian Ocean, Seychelles, Amirante Islands, close to St. Joseph Island, southwest of Ressource Island, coll. D. Dockins, 10 Mar. 1964; USNM 313501, male, 25.0+ 6.8 mm, Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, bay at El Himeira, coll. V.G. Springer, 0 8 Sep. 1969.

Diagnosis. Pectoral-fin rays 17; nape scaled, median predorsal scales 8-9; body depth 4.4-5.1 in SL.

Description (the data on the holotype in parentheses). Body moderately elongate, laterally compressed posteriorly, the depth at pelvic-fin origin 4.4–5.1 (4.5) in SL; caudal peduncle depth in its length 1.8–1.9 (1.8). Head length 2.7–3.0 (2.7) in SL; head width 1.4–1.6 (1.5) in head length; anterior nostril tubular, reaching upper lip when folded down; eyes large, eye diameter 2.7–3.3 (3.3) in head length; snout short, snout length 1.3–1.7 (1.3) in eye diameter; angle of jaws ending posteriorly below mideye; branchiostegal membranes fused to isthmus; gill openings end forward at pectoral-fin base. Dorsal-fin rays VI + I,8–9 (VI + I,8); anal-fin rays I,8 (I,8); pectoral-fin rays 17 (17); spines of first dorsal fin extending backwards to the origin of the first spine of the second dorsal fin when folded down, except in the smallest male USNM 313499 19.9+ 5.9 mm where the spines of first dorsal fin end anterior to the origin of the first spine; pectoral fins just reaching a vertical line at the anus; pelvic fin complete, extending to anus or to anal-fin origin; pelvic frenum moderately reduced (minimum pelvic frenum height onefourth to one-half of pelvic spine length, one-half in holotype); segmented caudal-fin rays 16–17, branched 13–14 (caudal fin of holotype too damaged for measuring or counting); caudal fin rounded, shorter than head, 0.8–0.9 of head length. Body covered with ctenoid scales, except cycloid on nape, prepelvic area and abdomen; longitudinal scale series 27–29 (28); transverse scale series 7–8 (8); nape scaled, median predorsal scales 8–9 (9); scaled area on nape extending forward to a vertical line through posterior margin of preopercle. Head with anterior oculoscapular and preopercular canals, with pores σ, λ, κ, ω, α, β, ρ, and γ, δ, ε respectively, posterior oculoscapular canal absent. Body tan, with a broad, curved, dark brown area on upper part of body continuous anteriorly to predorsal area and ending posteriorly between the first and the second dorsal fins, and brownish blotch dorsally below second dorsal fin; first dorsal fin pigmented at tip and with diagonal band, more intensively pigmented anteriorly, beginning at about middle of the first spine (males) or at lower part of the first spine (female holotype in drawing in Koumans (1953)), and obscure posteriorly, ending at the origin of the sixth spine; diffuse blackish bar on caudal peduncle at caudal-fin base.

Remarks. Cabillus macrophthalmus was known only from the holotype (ZMA.PISC. 110952) dredged from off Tanahdjampea Island, Flores Sea from depth of 120–400 m (Weber 1909). The later record of C. macrophthalmus from Western Australia is considered as another undescribed species incorrectly identified as C. macrophthalmus due to the lack of scales on nape (Randall et al. 2007). The USNM 313499 and USNM 313501 specimens match the description of Weber (1909), additional data provided by Randall et al. (2007) on the holotype and the data from the present redescription of the holotype. The specimens from the Seychelles and the Red Sea are also in accordance with the illustration of the holotype of C. macrophthalmus from Koumans (1953), except for the difference in the coloration of the first dorsal fin (diagonal band anteriorly beginning at about middle of the first spine vs. band anteriorly beginning at anterior basal part of the first spine); however, considering that this single difference is between the males from the Seychelles and the Red Sea and the female holotype, and that coloration of the first dorsal fin could differ between sexes of the same gobiid species, the present specimens were assigned to C. macrophthalmus rather than presuming, without any other character difference, another undescribed species similar to C. macrophthalmus .

The genus Cabillus was not previously recorded for the Red Sea (Golani & Bogorodsky 2010); however, the first record of C. macrophthalmus is based on the single specimen from the Gulf of Aqaba collected by V.G. Springer in 1969 at depth of 9– 12 m.

Comparative material examined

Cabillus tongarevae : USNM 276018, 2 males 29.8+ 9.5 mm and 30.4+ 9.4 mm, Western Indian Ocean, Seychelles, Aldabra, Picard Island, coll. B. Kensley et al., 17 Mar. 1985; USNM 339843, 1 female, 21.7+6.1, 3 males, 19.3+ 6.1 mm to 23.9+ 7.6 mm, 1 juvenile of unidentified sex, 13.6+ 3.9 mm, Pacific Ocean, Tonga Island, Shore station on tidal flat just south of Ohonna harbor, 21°20' 15” S, 174° 58' 14” W, coll. J.T. Williams et al., 0 2 Nov. 1993.

Cabillus cf. caudimacula : USNM 261981, 1 female, 23.9+7.4, 1 male 23.3+7.2, 2 juveniles of unidentified sex, 22.5+ 7.6 mm and 19.8+ 6.7 mm, Western Indian Ocean, St. Brandon’s Shoals= Cargados Carajos, of northwest shore of Albatross Island, 16° 15' S, 59° 35' E, coll. V. Springer et al., 14 Apr. 1976; USNM 261983, 2 juveniles of unidentified sex, 15.6+5.0 mm and 18.0+ 5.3 mm, Western Indian Ocean, St. Brandon’s Shoals= Cargados Carajos, 0.5 mile south of Isle Raphael, 16° 27' S, 59° 36' E, coll. V. Springer et al., 12 Apr. 1976.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Cabillus macrophthalmus. A: holotype, ZMA. PISC. 110952, female, 22.9 mm SL, off Tanahdjampea Island, Flores Sea, Indonesia; B: USNM 313499, male, 24.5 mm SL, close to St. Joseph Island, southwest of Ressource Island, Amirante Islands, Seychelles. Photos by E. Kruidenier (A), M. Kovačić (B).