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Poreless Barbel Goby

Gobiopsis aporia Lachner & McKinney 1978

Diagnostic Description

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Characterized by pale grey body color with dorsally brownish head; upper half of body with mottled brown markings forming irregular saddles with narrower ventral extensions; full united pelvic fins, frenum present; rounded caudal fin; longitudinal scale series 37-43; presence of barbels on snout, tip of chin, and ventrally below lower jaw; cycloid scales; cheek and opercle without scales; deeply embedded nape scales; absence of sensory pores on head; depth of body 5.2-7.8 in SL (Ref. 90102).
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Roxanne Rei Valdestamon
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Morphology

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Dorsal spines (total): 6 - 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 8 - 10
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Biology

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Cryptic inhabitant of sand-rubble bottom next to reefs in 3-20 m (Ref. 90102).
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Cristina V. Garilao
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Comprehensive Description

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Gobiopsis aporia

DIAGNOSIS.—Sensory pores absent; nasal papillae row confluent with suborbital row around eye; primary lateral cephalic papillae row continuous from behind eye to upper gill opening; scales cycloid, 37–45 in horizontal series; postmandibular barbel and posterior gular barbels absent; jaw short; its length 13–16 percent of SL; dark wedge on head obscured by mottling; light base of pectoral fin not divided by dark wedge; trunk with dark saddles and strongly mottled.

DESCRIPTION.—Dorsal fin rays VI–I,8(1), with 2 malformed pterygiophores and no associated external elements, VI–1,10(57); anal fin rays I,8(1), 1,9(57), I,10,(1); pectoral fin rays 19(6), 20(55), 21(52), 22(3); pelvic fin rays I,5(27); segmented caudal fin rays 17(36); branched caudal fin rays 15 (28), 16 (7); lateral scale rows 37–45 (23); transverse scale rows 18–22(23); predorsal scales 16–19(23).

Scales cycloid, no trace of ctenii, with 20–25 primary radii in anterior field and with few secondary radii; posterior field small, narrow, with about 12–15 short radii; focal area narrow to broad; primary radii in anterior field about 5–8 times longer than those of posterior field; some scales have the posterior field almost absent.

Vertebrae 10+16(54).

Measurements of features of the head and trunk for the holotype and means and ranges for selected male and female paratypes are given in Table 6.

A stout, robust species, the largest male 53 mm, the largest female 49 mm; trunk posterior to the pectoral area round to oval-shaped; fleshy interorbital wide, width about equal to length of snout and 1.5 times the diameter of orbit; lower jaw short, length about 13–16 percent SL; origin of second dorsal fin slightly posterior to vertical through midanal opening; depressed pectoral fin extends posteriorly to vertical from end of first dorsal fin, not reaching vertical through anal opening; pectoral fin longer than deep, moderately acute; pelvic fins short, extending posteriorly about 47 to 64 percent of distance from pelvic fin insertion to anal fin origin (Figure 3).

Number of teeth on outer row of upper jaw about 16–25, lower jaw about 8–10.

The absence of the cephalic sensory pore and canal system correlates with the greater development and elongation of certain rows of papillae (Plate 1); the nasal row is confluent with the suborbital row around eye, and the primary lateral cephalic row extends from behind eye to upper gill opening (Pattern 1).

Barbels (Table 3) in particular groups are generally intermediate in number; intermandibular barbels 1–3 (mean 2.05); posterior mandibular 2–6 (3.00); anterior cheek tuft 1–4 (2.55); anterior internasals 2–4 (2.50); posterior internasals 1–2 (2.60); the postmandibular and posterior gular barbels are absent. The barbels on the anterior cheek tuft are short to long, the lower one is longest and is preceeded by one of intermediate size.

COLOR IN PRESERVATION.—Head and trunk heavily mottled light gray to dark brown. Mottling on head heaviest on border of upper jaw, on cheek and preopercle and on the head dorsally between and behind the eyes; mottling reduced in the occipital area. Some fine mottling on chin; most of lower part of head including the branchiostegal area is pale to light color; dark wedge on the preopercle is obscured in larger specimens by the mottling but is evident in the smaller specimens, the wedge descending to about the middle portion of the preopercle, or slightly below (Plates 1–2a).

Light, fine to heavy, gray-brownish mottling of trunk obscures the heavy saddles. Four, wide, dark brown saddles on trunk, anterior one bridging upper bases of pectoral fins, fourth saddle passes through end of base of second dorsal fin; a very small, narrow mark passes over end of dorsal part of caudal peduncle. Saddles meet irregularly along body midline forming wavy band; a dark projection from the wavy band extends ventrolaterally between each saddle on side of body; a narrow dark bar at base of caudal fin sometimes irregular or wavy. Ventral portion of body pale or light. Heavy body mottling and strong saddles shown on Plate 7a.

Proximal portion of pectoral fin with a dark brown sickle-shaped mark beginning at upper base of fin and extending downward on upper two-thirds of fin; lower one-third of pectoral fin mostly clear, outer portion clear or slightly pigmented. Pelvic fins clear. Spinous dorsal fin with a small, dark spot at anterior base, a larger spot or band at midbasal portion extending up from saddle, and 2 rows of small dark spots on outer portion, remainder transparent. Second dorsal fin with a series of 3–4 horizontal rows of brown spots, remainder of fin clear. Caudal fin with a series of 6–7 reticulated or irregular vertical rows of brown spots, remainder of fin clear.

No sexual dichromatism observed. Juveniles have much less mottling; smaller specimens have little or no mottling, but the 4 saddles are very distinct and the bridging of the saddles laterally is weak, sometimes incomplete; remainder of the body of juveniles is light to pale. Small specimens, 9–10 mm, have the 4 conspicuous body saddles weakly or not joined along lateral portion of body, basal vertical bar on the caudal fin, a weak head wedge descending to about the middle of the preopercle, and scattered chromatophores on the head dorsally between and behind the eyes as well as some on the snout; 2–3 small dark spots on the midline of the belly, 1 behind the pelvic fins, 1 at its base, and about 6 spots in a series beginning behind the origin of the anal fin and extending along the mid-ventral margin of the caudal peduncle to the lower caudal base.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—Occurs in the Indian Ocean only at Sri Lanka, widespread from Malaya and the East Indies eastward to eastern New Guinea and the northern Barrier Reef, and at one locality in the Ryukyus (Figure 6).

ECOLOGY.—The available field notes for collections of Gobiopsis aporia from Australia (C. L. Smith, Tyler), Indonesia (Springer), Ceylon (Iwamoto, Koenig) and the Gulf of Thailand (GVF stations) are similar in respect to habitat description. Most sites are depicted as areas of dead and live coral with interspersed coral rubble, rocks, and while, silty sand. V. G. Springer (pers. comm.) states that specimens of G. aporia killed with an ichthyocide at Karimundjawa (VGS sta 74-28) were found on white sand areas, but always near coral rubble. None of the collectors have indicated that they have seen live specimens. All specimens were taken with rotenone base poisons.

It is probable that individuals of G. aporia conceal themselves in the sand or among coral fragments in the substrate surface.

Specimens have been collected in relatively shallow areas of about 3 m or less, and also probably have been taken in depths to 30 m, in clear to moderately turbid waters in areas of no current, or moderate or strong surge.

Eighty-one specimens of G. aporia were collected at 40 stations, 35 of which yielded 3 specimens or less. Mature males and females were collected together only at 3 stations. These data may indicate that G. aporia is not a gregarious species, and that it is not a common species at any locality.

ETYMOLOGY.—The specific name aporia is constructed from the Latin a (without) plus porus (a hole) and refers to the absence of the cephalic sensory pores for this species.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Holotype: USNM 209731, female 39.9, Ambon Island, Moluccas, off Tandjung Suli, over shallow coral reef, bottom of sand and coral, depth to 2.5 m, collected with rotenone by V. G. Springer and M. F. Gomon, Rumphius Exp. 1, sta SU-1, VGS 73-8, 11 Jan 1973.

Paratypes: 28 males, 30 females, and 12 immature specimens as follows.

SRI LANKA: USNM 209240, male (36.3), female (41.5) cleared and stained, Kalkudah Bay, Batticaloa District, T. Iwamoto sta 70-347, 9 Jun 1970; AMS I.18101-001, male (44.4), same data as USNM 209240; BPBM 20321, female (34.1), Kalkudah Bay, Iwamoto sta 70-344, 6 Jun 1970; USNM 211137, males (31.5–44.9), Trincomalee, center of second bay N of harbor, C. C. Koenig sta 69-136, 4 Apr 1970; ANSP 134200, male (32.9), same data as USNM 211137; USNM 211138, females (29.9, 38.6), Passakudah Bay, Batticaloa District, Iwamoto sta 70-349, 10 Jun 1970; CAS 31497, female (33.2), same data as USNM 211138; ANSP 134201, females (32.0, 38.3), same data as USNM 211138; USNM 212293, immature (9.2), Hikkaduwa, 1 mile S of coral gardens, Koenig sta 69-100, 12 Feb 1970; USNM 212294, females (35.2, 37.8), 3 immature (9.0–20.9), Hikkaduwa, 1 mile S of resthouse, Koenig sta 69-103, 13 Feb 1970; USNM 212296, female (36.5), Weligama, 500 yards S of resthouse, Koenig sta 69-107, 15 Feb 1970; USNM 212298, females (31.6, 35.8), immature (11.3), Galle, SE end of bay, Koenig sta 69-108, 16 Feb 1970; BMNH 1976.2.5.1, female (34.0), same data as USNM 212298; FMNH 78751, female (35.8), same data as USNM 212298; USNM 212300, immature (9.3, 10.8), Weligama, cove S of resthouse, Koenig sta 69-106, 15 Feb 1970; AMS I.18492-001, female (36.4), Trincomalee, 08°37.7′N, 81°14.2′E, P. C. Heemstra sta 69-277, 29 Sep 1969.

GULF OF THAILAND: CAS 33628, female (36.0), Rayong Province, Toud-chin Bay on SE side of Ko Samet, 12°31′42″N, 101°26′57″E, GVF Reg. No. 2169, 22 Apr 1960; CAS 33629, females (26.1, 35.8), Rayong Province, Pra Sang Bay on NW point of Ko Samet, 12°34′41″N, 101°26′50″E, GVF Reg. No. 2171, 23 Apr 1960; CAS 33630, male (43.4), Chumphon Province, Pround Bay at SW corner of Goh Samed, 10°26′04″N, 99°17′33″E, GVF Reg. No. 2185, 17 May 1960.

INDONESIA: USNM 212000, immature (16.7, 21.4), Pulau Tikus, Pulau Seribu, ca. 05°51'S, ca. 106°34′E, VGS sta 74-35, 6 Apr 1974; USNM 211990, male (44.6), Pulau Ajer, Pulau Seribu, ca. 05°46'S, ca. 106°35′E, VGS sta 74-32, 4 Apr 1974; USNM 211984, females (32.7, 39.1), just N of Lesser Mendjangan I., Karimundjawa Islands, ca. 05°53'S, ca. 110°-25′E, VGS sta 74-30, 30 Mar 1974; USNM 211983, 10 males (32.4–49.3), 3 females (29.5–42.7), one cleared and stained, off SW coast of Karimundjawa, ca. 05°52'S, ca. 110°26′E, VGS sta 74-28, 29 Mar 1974; RMNH 15256, male (51.1), Timor, Wienecke coll., 1863.

NEW GUINEA: USNM 211136, female (36.5), S end Belian I., Madang, B. B. Collette sta 1478, 22 May 1970.

AUSTRALIA, ARNHEM LAND: USNM 211140, male (47.1), Yirrkalla, Northern Territory, near Cape Arnhem, Gulf of Carpentaria, R. R. Miller sta 48-21, Jul–Aug 1948; USNM 211152, male (41.7), probably taken with USNM 211140. QUEENSLAND: AMS I.19108-001, male (53.4), immature (14.5), Lizard Island, J. Paxton sta LZ 75-42, 17 Nov 1975; AMS I.18755-002, immature (10.4), Palfrey Island, Paxton sta LZ 75-4, 2 Nov 1975; AMS I.18767-003, male (47.4), Linnet Reef, Paxton sta LZ 75-52, 22 Nov 1975; AMNH 32962, immature (18.7), Little Hope Island, C. L. Smith sta 69-27, 20 Jan 1969. Endeavour Reef: USNM 209238, male (45.9), J. Tyler sta A-4, 5 Jan 1969; USNM 209247, male (49.6), Tyler sta A-5, 6 Jan 1969; ANSP 134202, male (52.0), female (47.3), same data as USNM 209247; USNM 209251, female (33.0), Tyler sta A-12, 13 Jan 1969; USNM 211139, female (49.0), Tyler sta A-3, 4 Jan 1969; USNM 211151, female (48.1), Tyler sta A-11, 11 Jan 1969; AMNH 32957, male (41.8), Smith sta 69-7, 6 Jan 1969; AMNH 32958, female (34.0), Smith sta 69-13, 13 Jan 1969; AMNH 32959, males (37.4, 39.2), Smith sta 69-16, 14 Jan 1969; AMNH 32960, male (48.3), Smith sta 69-19, 16 Jan 1969; AMNH 32961, female (42.8), Smith sta 69-18, 15 Jan 1969.

The following small specimens are given no type status.

RYUKYU ISLANDS: AMS I.18493-001, (23.6), Taketomi Island, Ishigaki, J. E. Randall, 24 May 1962.

AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND, Endeavour Reef: USNM 211149, (10.7), Tyler sta A-16, 15 Jan 1969; USNM 211150, (13.0, 14.2), Tyler sta A-11, 11 Jan 1969; AMNH 32963, (14.9), Smith sta 69-12, 11 Jan 1969; AMNH 32964, (10.8, 12.9, 13.8), Smith sta 69-16, 14 Jan 1969. Big Hope Island: USNM 209246, (14.3), Tyler sta A-33, 27 Jan 1969.

Specimen questionably assigned to G. aporia: AMNH 32965, (13.9), Endeavour Reef, Smith sta 69-19, 16 Jan 1969.
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bibliographic citation
Lachner, Ernest A. and McKinney, James F. 1978. "A revision of the Indo-Pacific fish genus Gobiopsis with descriptions of four new species (Pisces, Gobiidae)." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 1-52. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.262