Lachdebere'S Dwarfgoby

Characterized by dark purplish brown body color with three white spots anteriorly on middle of side; presence of series of small white spots beginning on nape, continuing along base of dorsal fin and ending on dorsal surface of caudal peduncle; caudal fin base with red-edged black spot; iris reddish; first four dorsal spines elongate or filamentous in male; all pectoral rays unbranched; longitudinal scale series 21-23; ctenoid scales, absent on head, nape and pectoral fin base; separated pelvic fins, thin membrane joining bases; well developed fifth pelvic ray, 50-70% length of fourth ray; 3-6 branches of fourth pelvic ray; depth of body 3.6-5.0 in SL (Ref. 90102).

Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 9; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 6 - 7

Inhabits silty sheltered reefs.

Inhabits silty sheltered reefs (Ref. 1602). Reported to be associated with the mushroom Heliofungia actiniformis (Ref. 91291).

Eviota lachdeberei Giltay

Eviota lachdeberei Giltay, 1933:93, fig. 27 [type-locality: Banda Neira and Goenoeng Api, Indonesia].

Eviota distigma.—Larson, 1976:501 [in part].

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—154 specimens from 6 general localities, totaling 51 males, 68 females, and 35 juveniles; total size range 5.8–21.0; largest male 21.0, largest female 16.2; smallest gravid female 11.6

Syntypes: ISNB 41, 2 (15.6, 14.4), male and female; Entre Banda Neira et Goenoeng Api, 24 Feb 1929, S.A.R. le Prince Leopold de Belgique.

Other Material: INDONESIA: Banda ISLANDS: USNM 219190, 1 (9.8), female; Goenoeng Api I., 7 Mar 1974, V. G. Springer, 74–8. USNM 219189, 5 (10.1–12.3), 2 males (10.4), 3 females (12.3); Naira I., 7 Mar 1974, V. G. Springer, 74–7. KABAENA ISLAND: USNM 219191, 1 (12.0), female; Tallabassi Bay, 24 Feb 1974, V. G. Springer, 74–1. PALAU ISLANDS: USNM 165716, 1 (16.0), male; Koror I., 27 Jul 1949, E. Clark, sta 5. CAS 43735, 4 (13.4–19.9), males; Koror I., 8 Jul 1955, H. A. Fehlmann, sta 10, GVF Reg 509. CAS 43776, 1 (18.7), male; Auluptagel I., 19 Sep 1957, DeWitt, sta 57–16, GVF Reg. 1391. CAS 43779, 92 (6.0–17.9), 18 juv., 29 males (17.9), 45 females (14.2); Babelthaup I., 22 Sep 1957, H. A. Fehlmann, sta 57–19, GVF Reg. 1397. CAS 43782, 3 (9.0–15.4), 1 juv., 2 males (15.4); Kaibukku I., 3 Oct 1957, DeWitt, sta 57–30, GVF Reg. 1408. CAS 43790, 1 (12.6), female; Iwayama Bay, 18 Nov 1957, DeWitt, sta 57–59, GVF Reg 1439. AMS I.20802–001, 15 (5.8–16.2), 10 juv., 1 male (11.2), 4 females (16.2); between Koror I. and Ho I., 19 Nov 1957, DeWitt, sta 57–62. TRUK ISLANDS: BPBM 22574, 1 (14.0), female; Herit I., 11 Jul 1969, J. Randall. MARIANAS ISLANDS: UG 5346, 6 (9.9–21.0), 1 juv., 4 males (21.0), 1 female (13.1); Guam, 15 Dec 1970, R. Struch. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: USNM 219651, 21 (8.8–18.5), 5 juv., 6 males (18.5), 10 females (16.2); Kranket I., 7 Nov 1978, V. G. Springer, 78–23.

DIAGNOSIS.—A deep-bodied species; pectoral fin rays simple; spinous dorsal fin elongate or filamentous in both sexes; spines II–IV longest in males; fifth pelvic fin ray well developed, five tenths to seven-tenths length of fourth ray; the caphalic sensory pore system lacks two pores, the IT pore and one of the interorbital pores, probably the PITO pore; a deep, dark spot on base of pectoral fin, wider and darker dorsally and most pronounced in males; a large, black mark at midbase of caudal fin, the posterior portion developed into a black crescent-shaped mark that extends above and below to the base of the anterior procurrent rays; the central, dark spot bordered above and below by smaller but discreet whitish spots.

DESCRIPTION.—Dorsal fin VI-I,7(1), VI-I,8(18); VI-I,9(1); anal fin I,6(2), I,7(18); pectoral fin 14(3), 15(14), 16(3); pelvic fin I,4 6/10(4), I,4 6/ 10(7), I,4 7/10(6); fourth ray of pelvic fin with 3–6 branches averaging 3.6; segments between consecutive branches of the fourth pelvic fin ray number 3–10, averaging 7.2; pelvic fin membrane well developed; branched caudal fin rays 11(14); segmented caudal fin rays 16(2), 17(18); lateral scale rows 21(2), 22(13), 23(1); transverse scale rows 6(5), 7(2); scales with 25–31 ctenii, 9–13 primary radii, 1–3 secondary radii; breast with scales.

The cephalic sensory pore system is pattern 3, wherein IT and the PITO pores are absent. The AITO pore is enlarged and located more posteriorly than in patterns 1 and 2. In one specimen, 9.8 mm SL, the interorbital canal has a double pore at the AITO position. The cutaneous papilla system basically is pattern B. In the interorbital area there are pairs of stout papillae bordering the AITO pore, on inner margins of nasal pores, bordering orbits between NA and AITO pores and on lower posterior borders of SOT pores; the row of papillae along upper lip branches toward eye, where there are two stout papillae along anterior margin of orbit.

Dorsal spines I–IV may be elongate or filamentous in males, spines II–IV are longest, extending beyond end of base of second dorsal fin; first two spines of females may be long or filamentous, either the longer, extending to base of fifth ray when depressed; pelvic fin long, usually extending beyond anal fin origin.

Genital papilla in male not fimbriate, long and slender, may extend to base of the third anal fin ray, slightly indented and fringed at tip. Female papilla bulbous, with 4 fingerlike projections on each side of tip.

Gravid females range in size from 11.6–16.2 mm SL.

Vertebrae 10(10) precaudal and 15(10) caudal, total 25.

COLOR IN PRESERVATION.—Head uniform light brown, lacking any prominent color marks; a pair of dark brown spots below the rictus on each side of the isthmus, more or less concealed by the lower jaws; spots pronounced in females, somewhat diffuse in males, or area generally brownish; trunk uniform brownish, the scales sometimes outlined with a broad patch of chromatophores, more commonly in males; no subcutaneous bars visible on belly or trunk, and spots along ventral midline not developed; a deep, dark mark on base of pectoral fin, wider and more pronounced on uppermost portion of base, narrowing and fading on middle and lower portions; widest upper part of dark mark bordered immediately anteriorly by a light area, and an additional light spot immediately anterior to middle portion of dark mark, about at the point where mark becomes narrow; light areas may be contiguous or separated by a narrow group of dark chromatophores; light spots most pronounced and well defined in specimens from the Palau Islands; entire pectoral base mark paler and less well developed in females; a large, black mark at midbase of caudal fin, the posterior portion developed into a black crescent-shaped mark that extends, above and below, to the base of the anterior procurrent rays; the central dark spot bordered, above and below, by smaller but discreet whitish spots; the dark crescent-shaped portion of the mark bordered above, posteriorly, by a narrow, pale halo at base of caudal rays; lower portion of spinous dorsal fin brownish, the pigmented portion narrower anteriorly but extending to margin of fin posterior to fifth spine; outer parts of anterior spines nearly pale; second dorsal and anal fins dusky brown, about equal in intensity to spinous dorsal fin or somewhat heavier colored; caudal fin light brownish, slightly darker on lower half; pectoral and pelvic fins pale.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—Known from 6 localities: Banda Islands (type-locality) and Kabaena Island, Indonesia; Kranket I., Papua New Guinea; and the Palau, Guam, Truk Islands (Figure 61).