Abstract
A new species of goby is described from submersible and scuba collections off Bonaire and New Providence Island, Bahamas. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear genes confirms the placement of the new species within the genus Psilotris of the Nes subgroup of the Gobiosomatini. The new species is easily distinguished from congeners and morphologically similar species of Varicus by its unique coloration, which includes eight narrow, bright yellow bars on the trunk, each with a small orange spot centered on the lateral midline. In addition, the combination of the absence of scales on the head and body and the presence of modified ctenoid scales on the base of the caudal fin, branched pelvic-fin rays, and 15–16 pectoral-fin rays further differentiates the new species from other species of Psilotris and Varicus.
References
Agorreta, A., San Mauro, D., Schliewen, U., Van Tassell, J.L., Kovacic, M., Zardoya, R. & Rüber, L. (2013) Molecular phylogenetics of Gobioidei and phylogenetic placement of European gobies. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 69, 619–633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2013.07.017
Akihito, P., Hayashi, M. &Yoshino, T. (1988) Suborder Gobioidei. In: Masuda, K., Amaoka, C., Araga, C., Uyeno, Y. & Yoshino, T. (Eds.), The Fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Tokai University Press, Tokyo, pp. 228–289.
Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. (2014) Connectivity across the Caribbean Sea: DNA Barcoding and morphology unite an enigmatic fish larva from the Florida Straits with a new species of sea bass from deep reefs off Curacao. PLoS ONE, 9, e97661.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097661
Baldwin, C.C., Pitassy, D.E. & Robertson, D.R. (2016) A new deep-reef scorpionfish (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae: Scorpaenodes) from the southern Caribbean with comments on depth distributions and relationships of western Atlantic members of the genus, ZooKeys, 606, 141–158.
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.606.8590
Baldwin, C.C. & Robertson, D.R. (2013) A new Haptoclinus blenny (Teleostei, Labrisomidae) from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, with comments on relationships of the genus. ZooKeys, 306, 71–81.
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.306.5198
Baldwin, C.C. & Robertson, D.R. (2014) A new Liopropoma sea bass (Serranidae, Epinephelinae, Liopropomini) from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, with comments on depth distributions of western Atlantic liopropomins. ZooKeys, 409, 71–92.
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.409.7249
Baldwin, C.C. & Robertson, D.R. (2015) A new, mesophotic Coryphopterus goby (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the southern Caribbean, with comments on relationships and depth distributions within the genus. ZooKeys, 513, 123–142.
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.513.9998Baldwin, C.C., Robertson, D.R., Nonaka, A. & Tornabene, L. (2016) Two new deep-reef basslets (Teleostei, Grammatidae, Lipogramma), with comments on the eco-evolutionary relationships of the genus. ZooKeys, 638, 45–82.
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.638.10455
Baldwin, C.C., Tornabene, L. & Robertson, D.R. (2018b) Below the mesophotic. Scientific Reports, 8, 4920.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23067-1
Baldwin, C.C., Tornabene, L., Robertson, D.R., Nonaka, A. & Gilmore, G.R. (2018a) More new deep-reef basslets (Teleostei, Grammatidae, Lipogramma), with updates on the eco-evolutionary relationships within the genus. ZooKeys, 729, 129–161.
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.729.21842
Birdsong, R.S., Murdy, E.O. & Pezold, F.L. (1988) A study of the vertebral column and median fin osteology in gobioid fishes with comments on gobioid relationships. Bulletin of Marine Science, 42, 174–214.
Böhlke, J.E. & Robins, C.R. (1968) Western Atlantic seven-spined gobies, with descriptions of ten new species and a new genus, and comments on Pacific relatives. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 120, 45–174.
Chakrabarty, P., Warren, M., Page, L.M. & Baldwin, C.C. (2013) GenSeq: An updated nomenclature and ranking for genetic sequences from type and non-type sources. ZooKeys, 346, 29–41.
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.346.5753
Dingerkus, G. & Uhler, L.D. (1977) Enzyme clearing of alcian blue stained whole small vertebrates for demonstration of cartilage. Stain Technology, 52, 229–232.
https://doi.org/10.3109/10520297709116780
Lanfear, R., Calcott, B., Ho, S.Y.W. & Guindon, S. (2012) PartitionFinder: Combined selection of partitioning schemes and substitution models for phylogenetic analyses. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 29, 1695–1701.
https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/mss020
Rambaut, A. & Drummond, A.J. (2007) Tracer. Available from: http://beast.bio.ed.ac.uk/Tracer (accessed 6 June 2019)
Ronquist, F., Teslenko, M., van der Mark, P., Ayres, D.P., Darling, A., Höhna, S., Larget, B., Liu, L., Suchard, M.A. & Huelsenbeck, J.P. (2012) MrBayes 3.2: efficient Bayesian phylogenetic inference and model choice across a large model space. Systematic Biology, 61, 539–542.
https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/sys029
Rüber, L., Van Tassell, J.L. & Zardoya, R. (2003) Rapid speciation and ecological divergence in the American seven spined gobies (Gobiidae: Gobiosomatini) inferred from a molecular phylogeny. Evolution, 57, 1584–1598.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2003.tb00366.x
Sanzo, L. (1911) Distribuzione delle papille cutanee (organi ciatiformi) e suo valore sistematico nei Gobi. Mittheilungen aus der Zoologischen Station zu Neapal, 20, 251–328.
Seutin, G., White, B.N. & Boag, P.T. (1991) Preservation of avian blood and tissue samples for DNA analyses. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 69, 82–90.
https://doi.org/10.1139/z91-013
Taylor, M.S. & Hellberg, M.E. (2005) Marine radiations at small geographic scales: speciation in Neotropical reef gobies (Elacatinus). Evolution, 59, 374–385.
https://doi.org/10.1554/04-590
Tornabene, L. & Baldwin, C.C. (2017) A new mesophotic goby, Palatogobius incendius (Teleostei: Gobiidae), and the first record of invasive lionfish preying on undescribed biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12 (5), e0177179.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177179
Tornabene, L., Robertson, D.R. & Baldwin, C.C. (2016) Varicus lacerta, a new species of goby (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup) from a mesophotic reef in the southern Caribbean. Zookeys, 596, 143–156.
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.596.8217
Tornabene, L., Van Tassell, J.L., Gilmore, R.G., Robertson, D.R., Young, F. & Baldwin, C.C. (2016a) Molecular phylogeny, analysis of character evolution, and submersible collections enable a new classification for 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), 764–812.
https://doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12394
Tornabene, L., Van Tassell, J.L., Robertson, D.R. & Baldwin, C.C. (2016b) Repeated invasions into the twilight zone: evolutionary origins of a novel assemblage of fishes from deep Caribbean reefs. Molecular Ecology, 25, 3662–3682.
https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.13704
Van Tassell, J.L. (2011) Gobiiformes of the Americas. In: Patzner, R.A., Van Tassell, J.L., Kovacic, M. & Kapoor, B.G. (Eds.), The Biology of Gobies. Science Publishers, Enfield, New Hampshire, pp. 139–176.
https://doi.org/10.1201/b11397-14
Van Tassell, J.L., Tornabene, L. & Collin, P.L. (2012) Review of the western Atlantic species of Bollmannia (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Gobiosomatini) with the description of a new allied genus and species. Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 18, 61–94.