Description

SINGLE PAPER

Volume 14, Issue 2 – 14 April 2008

John E. Randall and Toshiyuki Suzuki: Three new species of dartfishes of the gobioid genus Ptereleotris from the western Pacific, pp. 89-100

Abstract

The dartfish Ptereleotris brachyptera is described as a new species from eight specimens from Ngargol Island, Palau, and one from Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, from lagoons on silty sand and rubble substrata in 20 to 38 m depth. The type specimens, 39.1 to 58.2 mm SL, were first believed to be subadults of P. microlepis or P. hanae until mature fish were found in the series. Ptereleotris  brachyptera differs from P. microlepis in having fewer dorsal and anal rays, a more slender body, and a red instead of black bar at the pectoral-fin base. It differs from P. hanae in its very low first dorsal fin and lacking a dark purplish gray stripe on the lower side.  It differs from both species in its smaller size and rounded instead of pointed corners on the caudal fin. Ptereleotris crossogenion is described from a single female specimen, 40.7 mm SL, collected from silty sand and rubble in 27 m depth in the lagoon of Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. It is most similar to P. brachyptera, differing in having a fringe of slender papillae along the lower jaw, a deeper body, narrower interorbital space, and in color. Ptereleotris kallista is described from two male specimens, 70 and 85 mm SL, from the aquarium trade in the Philippines. It is a close relative of P. uroditaenia, differing in having a broader interorbital space, longer dorsal spines, and in color, especially a continuous submarginal black band in the caudal fin, compared to two separate converging black bands in P. uroditaenia.