Tempestichthys bettyae, a new genus and species of ocean sleeper (Gobiiformes, Thalasseleotrididae) from the central Coral Sea

The Thalasseleotrididae is a small family of exclusively marine gobioids. They form a sister taxon to the Gobiidae and Oxudercidae and are distinguished from most species in these families by having six branchiostegal rays and a membrane linking the hyoid arch to the first ceratobranchial. Here we use micro-CT informed morphological data and molecular phylogenetics to describe a new genus and species of thalasseleotridid discovered on a tropical oceanic coral reef in the central Coral Sea. Tempestichthys bettyae gen. et sp. nov. is the first tropical thalasseleotridid and differs from other members of the Thalasseleotrididae by having a T-shaped palatine and a distinctive shape and colouration. The three previously described thalasseleotridid species are endemic to temperate coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand and are all translucent brown with dorsoventrally compressed heads. However, Tempestichthys bettyae is laterally compressed with a pointed snout and is translucent white with opaque white and crimson red markings and a largely crimson iris. We discuss the unique characters of this new genus, including its distribution, form, colouration and diminutive size, and highlight the potential of there being undescribed diversity in the Thalasseleotrididae. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3F584DD6-0B33-4E69-98A7-22D68EE1A1B8

海鰕虎科（Thalasseleotrididae）是一类仅分布于海洋生境的小型鰕虎亚目类群，为鰕虎科（Gobiidae）与叉舌鰕虎科（Oxudercidae）的姊妹群，可通过两项特征与该两科的多数物种区分：具有6枚鳃条骨（branchiostegal rays），且存在连接舌弓（hyoid arch）与第一角鳃骨（first ceratobranchial）的膜质结构。本研究利用显微计算机断层扫描（micro-CT）获取的形态学数据与分子系统发育学（molecular phylogenetics）方法，描述了在珊瑚海中部热带远洋珊瑚礁中发现的海鰕虎科新属新种。贝氏暴风塘鳢（Tempestichthys bettyae gen. et sp. nov.）是首个被记录的热带海鰕虎科物种，其与海鰕虎科其他成员的区别在于具有T形腭骨（palatine），以及独特的体型与体色。此前已被描述的3种海鰕虎科物种均为澳大利亚南部与新西兰温带近岸水域的特有类群，通体呈半透明棕褐色，头部背腹扁平。但贝氏暴风塘鳢则体侧扁平，吻部尖细，通体半透明白色，带有不透明白色与深红色斑纹，虹膜整体呈深红色。本研究讨论了该新属的多项独特特征，包括其分布范围、体型、体色与微小体型，并指出海鰕虎科中仍存在未被描述的物种多样性潜力。http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3F584DD6-0B33-4E69-98A7-22D68EE1A1B8