Checkered Goby

Caudal fin rounded, shorter than head.

Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 9

Found on rock and sand bottom (Ref. 11441). Minimum depth from Ref. 58018.

Gobiopsis canalis

Barbatogobius asanai.—Blegvad and Løppenthin, 1944:167, fig. 97 [Iranian Gulf].

DIAGNOSIS.—Sensory pores NA, PITO, AT, and PT present, 1 POP present, SOT absent; preopercular canal connects with lateral cephalic canal; scales cycloid, small, over 50 in horizontal series; intermandibular, posterior mandibular, postmandibular and posterior gular barbels absent; jaw moderate in length, about 16–17 percent of SL; dark head wedge not noticeably developed; light base of pectoral fin divided or nearly so by dark wedge; body moderately mottled, saddles not prominent.

DESCRIPTION.—Dorsal fin rays VI–1, 10(2); anal fin rays I,9(2); pectoral fin rays 22(2); 23(2); pelvic fin rays I,5(2); segmented caudal fin rays 17(2); branched caudal fin rays 15(2); lateral scale rows 50–55(2); transverse scale rows 23–24(2); predorsal scales 18–20(2).

Scales cycloid, with 12–20 primary radii in the anterior field and 2 or 3 secondary radii; posterior field small, narrow with about 10–15 tiny radii, some of which are barely discernible; focal area narrow, never broad; primary radii in anterior field much longer than those of posterior field, more than 20 times; some scales have posterior field almost entirely absent.

Vertebrae 10+16(2).

The following proportional measurements are given for the holotype (50.5 mm SL) followed by the value for the paratype (41.3 mm SL): head length 321, 341; snout length 83, 85; postorbital length 198, 208; greatest diameter of orbit 50, 53; bony interorbital width 59, 61; pectoral fin length 269, 278; pelvic fin length 232, 252; caudal fin length 257, 305; predorsal length 404, 414; greatest depth of body 174, 165; least depth of peduncle 121, 111; postanal length 390, 368; lower jaw length 166, 165; pelvic fin insertion to anal fin origin 323, 344.

Body moderately stout and deep; fleshy interorbital wider than length of snout and greater than diameter of orbit; lower jaw of moderate length 16–17 percent of SL; origin of second dorsal fin slightly posterior to vertical through anal opening; depressed pectoral fin reaches vertical through end of first dorsal, is somewhat longer than deep, the posterior margin rounded; pelvic fin not reaching anal opening, pelvic fin length as percent of distance from pelvic fin insertion to anal fin origin about 72 and 77.

Teeth on outer row of lower jaw number 10–12, the outer row of upper jaw 23–24. The inner row of the upper jaw of the holotype, a male, has 1–2 enlarged teeth on each side of the symphysis, absent in the female paratype.

The cephalic sensory pore and canal system is characterized by the presence of the AT and PT pores and the absence of the SOT and upper POP pores. The preopercular canal is complete to the lateral cephalic canal and joins it just anterior to the IT pore.

The cutaneous papillae system is pattern 4.

A characteristic feature of the barbels is the absence of four particular groups (Table 3), these being the intermandibular, posterior mandibular, postmandibular and posterior gular. Barbels of the posterior internasal group are sometimes absent. Anterior cheek tuft barbels number 1–4, and the anterior internasals 2–3. The lower barbel on the anterior cheek tuft is fairly long, considerably longer than others on the tuft.

COLOR IN PRESERVATION.—Our specimens were collected many years ago and are faded. The holotype was illustrated by Blegvad and Løppenthin (1944:168, fig. 97) showing the body saddles and the coloration of the pectoral fin fairly well developed. Our photographs of the same specimen, Plate 9a,b, depict the current state of preservation. The head shows concentration of chromatophores just posterior of the eyes; the dark wedge on the preopercle is only faintly visible; there are 4 brown saddles on the trunk, one before the first dorsal fin, one through the first dorsal, another through the second dorsal fin and one just at the end of the second dorsal; a faint small mark or spot is present posterior to the last saddle and at the beginning of the first procurrent caudal fin rays; the saddles are more or less joined along the midside of the body and there is some pigmentation ventrolaterally on the body; there is evidence of a weak mark at the base of the caudal fin and it appears to be more dense just above and below the midbasal area; the pectoral fin has a sickle-shaped mark near its base which is darkest on the upper portion, the lighter upper basal area is divided by the dark wedge that extends from the sickle-shaped mark, the area posterior to the dark sickle-shaped mark is followed by a fairly wide, light band in the midportion of the fin, approximately the outer half of the fin is pigmented pale to light brownish, enough to show the lighter band; the first dorsal fin has a white basal area anteriorly on the fin and another light area basally between the 5th and 6th spine, the remainder is brownish; the second dorsal fin has 4 to 5 brownish stripes separated by light to pale areas; the pelvic fin is clear to transparent with some scattered chromatophores and a concentration of chromatophores near the midbase of the pelvic fin on the lower part of the frenum; the middle portion of the anal fin is light brownish, the basal and outer portions are pale. The caudal fin has a series of 4–5 irregular vertical, brownish bands, the remainder of the fin is pale to clear.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from 2 localities, one in the Persian Gulf and the other from the southwest coast of India (Figure 7).

ECOLOGY.—The holotype was taken at a depth of 13 m by trawl, over a clay and sand bottom (Blegvad and Løppenthin, 1944:26).

ETYMOLOGY.—The specific name canalis is from Latin in reference to the unique extension of the preopercular canal from the lower POP pore dorsally to join the lateral cephalic canal.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Holotype: UZMK 01.9.1943,619, male (50.5) Persian Gulf, E of Hindarabi, 26°41′N, 53°46′E, depth 13 m, M/S Rashgoo sta 123, 9 Apr 1938.

Paratype: SU 40079, female (41.3), Calicut (now known as Kozhikode), India, collected by A. W. Herre, 14 Jan 1941.

Gobiopsis canalis, the checkered goby, is a species of goby found in the Western Indian Ocean, from the Persian Gulf, to Oman, and to southwest India.