Bull. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Ser. A, Suppl. 6, pp. 59–65, March 30, 2012

Gobiodon winterbottomi, a New Goby (Actinopterygii: Perciformes:
Gobiidae) from Iriomote-jima Island, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Toshiyuki Suzuki1, Korechika Yano2 and Hiroshi Senou3
1

Kawanishi-midoridai Senior High School, 1–8 Kouyoudai, Kawanishi, Hyogo 666–0115, Japan
E-mail: trimma-toshiyuki@hop.ocn.ne.jp
2
Dive Service Yano, 537 Uehara, Taketomi-cho, Okinawa 907–1541, Japan
3
Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History, 499 Iryuda, Odawara, Kanagawa 250–0031, Japan
E-mail: senou@nh.kanagawa-museum.jp

Abstract The gobiid ¿sh Gobiodon winterbottomi is described as a new species from three specimens (19.0–32.9 mm SL) collected from Echinopora lamellose, the plate-shaped coral of the family Faviidae, in 5 m depth on the reef slope off Iriomote-jima Island, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. It
is characterized by the following in combination: the jaw teeth subequal in shape and size; lack of
post-symphysial canine teeth; lack of an interopercle-isthmus groove; a narrow gill opening; lackof elongated dorsal-¿n spines; large second dorsal, anal and pelvic ¿ns; 15 or 16 pectoral-¿n rays;and head, body and ¿ns gray, absence of stripes or other markings when fresh or alive.
Key words: Gobiodon winterbottomi, new species, Gobiidae, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

Gobiodon Bleeker, 1856 is an Indo-Paci¿cgobiid ¿sh genus, comprising often colorful,tropical species living in obligate commensal
association with reef-building corals. Gobiodon
can be recognized by having the following combination of characters: developed cephalic sensory canal pores; reduced cephalic sensory papillae pattern; narrow gill opening restricted to baseof pectoral ¿n; generally a scaleless body covered by a thick mucus layer; small pelvic ¿nsjoined to form a cup-shaped disc; and generally
small jaw teeth, with the exception of one or twopairs of developed canine teeth posterior to thedentary symphysis in some species (Harold andWinterbottom, 1995, 1999; Suzuki and Shibukawa in Senou, 2004). Paragobiodon Bleeker,
1873 is similar to Gobiodon, but it differs from
Gobiodon in having large body scales andnumerous Àeshy papillae on the head.
Gobiodon may contain more than 30 nominal
species. According to Harold et al. (2008), of
these, 19 described species are currently recognized as valid: Gobiodon acicularis Harold andWinterbottom, 1995, Gobiodon albofasciatus

Sawada and Arai, 1972 (validity questionable),
Gobiodon axillaris De Viz, 1884, Gobiodon brochus (Harold and Winterbottom, 1999), Gobiodon ceramensis (Bleeker, 1853), Gobiodon citrinus (Rüppell, 1838), Gobiodon erythrospilus
Bleeker, 1875, Gobiodon fulvus Herre, 1927,
Gobiodon heterospilos Bleeker, 1856, Gobiodon
histrio (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1837), Gobiodon micropus Günther, 1861,
Gobiodon oculolineatus Wu, 1979, Gobiodon
okinawae Sawada, Arai and Abe, 1972, Gobiodon prolixus Winterbottom and Harold, 2005,
Gobiodon quinquestrigatus (Valenciennes, 1837
in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1837), Gobiodon
reticulatus Playfair in Playfair and Günther,
1867, Gobiodon rivulatus (Rüppell, 1830), Gobiodon spilophthalmus Fowler, 1944, and Gobiodon unicolor (Castelnau, 1873).
In Japan, 13 nominal species and 10 unidenti¿ed species of Gobiodon are known: G. albofasciatus, G. axillaris (＝Gobiodon atrangulatus
Garman, 1903), G. ceramensis (＝Gobiodon sp.
4 sensu Suzuki and Shibukawa, 2004 in Senou),
G. erythrospilus, G. fulvus (＝Gobiodon sp. 3

60

T. Suzuki, K. Yano and H. Senou

sensu Akihito et al., 2002), G. histrio, G. micropus, G. oculolineatus, G. okinawae, G. prolixus(＝Gobiodon sp. 2 sensu Suzuki and Shibukawa
in Senou, 2004), G. quinquestrigatus, G. rivulatus (＝Gobiodon sp. C sensu Suzuki and Shibukawa in Senou, 2004), G. unicolor, Gobiodon sp.
A, Gobiodon sp. B, Gobiodon sp. D, Gobiodon
sp. E, Gobiodon sp. 1, Gobiodon sp. 3, Gobiodon
sp. 5, Gobiodon sp. 6, Gobiodon sp. 7 and Gobiodon sp. 8 (the undescribed species sensu Suzuki
and Shibukawa in Senou, 2004) (Akihito et al.,
2002; Munday et al., 1999; Suzuki and Shibukawa in Senou, 2004; Winterbottom and Harold,2005; Suzuki, unpublished)
In this paper, we describe a new species ofGobiodon collected from Echinopora lamellose,
the plate-shaped coral of the family Faviidae, in
5 m depth on the reef slope off Iriomote-jimaIsland, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. It was ¿rst
reported by Suzuki and Shibukawa in Senou(2004) as “Gobiodon sp. 3”.

Table 1.

Materials and Methods
Type specimens of the new species are deposited in Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural
History (KPM) and the National Museum of
Nature and Science, Tsukuba (NSMT).
Methods for counts and measurements follow
Suzuki and Randall (2011). Cephalic sensory
systems of the head were described from preserved material stained with a cyanine blue solution, with notations following Akihito (1984), as
does the notation of pattern of interdigitation of
the dorsal-¿n proximal pterygiophores between
the neural spines (P–V). P–V and vertebral
counts were obtained from radiographs. Countsof gill-rakers, segmented caudal rays, procurrent
caudal rays, and tooth morphology were obtained
from a paratype stained with alizarin red.
Description of the color when fresh (immediately
following capture, pre-¿xation) was based oncolor slides. Color descriptions when alive werebased on the underwater photographs in Yano in
Senou (2004). The names of colors follow therecommendations of the Japan Color Research

Measurements (% SL) for Gobiodon winterbottomi.
Holotype

Paratypes

Sex

KMP-NI 5887
female

NSMT-P 106563
male

KMP-NI 5889
juvenile

Standard length (mm)Body depth of pelvic-¿n origin
Body depth of anal-¿n origin
Body width of pectoral-¿n origin
Head length (including gill membrane)
Head width
Snout length
Orbit diameter
Bony interorbital width
Upper jaw length
Caudal peduncle depth
Caudal peduncle length
Predorsal length
Preanal length
Prepelvic length
Base of dorsal ¿ns
First dorsal spineLongest dorsal ray
Base of anal ¿nLongest anal ray
Caudal-¿n length
Longest ray of pectoral-¿n length
Pelvic-¿n length

32.9
39.9
36.7
20.8
28.3
19.9
7.2
9.8
7.8
7.2
16.5
23.1
37.0
57.2
34.7
59.8
20.5
25.7
24.6
29.2
29.5
33.5
20.5

27.7
37.3
32.2
15.1
30.5
17.1
8.2
9.9
7.5
8.6
15.1
23.6
38.0
56.5
34.2
55.8
18.8
27.4
23.3
29.5
29.8
33.6
19.5

19.0
39.0
34.0
19.5
34.0
21.0
9.0
12.0
8.8
8.0
17.5
23.0
42.0
69.5
40.0
52.5
22.5
23.8
24.3
27.5
34.0
35.0
21.0

A New Species of Gobiodon

Institute (1995). Measurements are given in
Table 1. In the description, data for the holotype
are given ¿rst, followed by data for the paratypes
in parentheses if different.
Gobiodon winterbottomi sp. nov.
(New Japanese name: Ohire-kobanhaze)(Figs. 1–3)
Gobiodon sp. 3: Suzuki and Shibukawa in Senou, 2004:
179 (underwater photograph, Iriomote-jima Island, theRyukyu Islands, Japan, 5 m depth, photo by KorechikaYano).

Holotype. KPM-NI 5887, female, 32.9 mm SL,
Funauki inlet, Iriomote-jima Island, Yaeyama
Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, 5 m depth, 21
Nov. 1998.
Paratypes. NSMT-P 106563 (ex KPM-NI
5888), male, 27.7 mm SL, cleared and stained,
and KPM-NI 5889, juvenile, 19.0 mm SL, samedata as the holotype.
Diagnosis. Gobiodon winterbottomi differsfrom the other described species of the genus in
the following combination of characters: the jaw
teeth subequal in shape and size; lack of postsymphysial canine teeth; lack of an interopercleisthmus groove; a narrow gill opening; lack ofelongated dorsal-¿n spines; large second dorsal,
anal and pelvic ¿ns: second dorsal and anal ¿nsreaching posteriorly to or beyond middle of caudal-¿n base when appressed; pelvic ¿ns reaching
posteriorly to middle to posterior half of genital
papilla; 15 or 16 pectoral-¿n rays; and head,
body and ¿ns gray, absence of stripes or othermarkings when fresh or alive.
Description. Dorsal ¿n VI-I, 10; anal-¿n I, 9;
pectoral ¿n 15 (16 in one); pelvic ¿n I, 5;
branched caudal-¿n rays 8＋7 (8＋6 in one); P-V
3 /II II I I 0 / 9; vertebrae 10＋16＝26.
Dorsal pro¿le of head steep and strongly convex. Mouth small, terminal; maxilla reaching
posterior to vertical between anterior edge andcenter of pupil (anterior edge in one; nearlyreaching in one juvenile). Ventral end of gill
opening at level of base of 13th pectoral-¿n ray(12th in one; 10th in juvenile). Anterior nostril

61

tubular, at level of ventral edge of orbit; posterior
nostril with raised rim, at level of middle edge oforbit. Lack of an interopercle-isthmus groove.
Anterior oculoscapular canal with pores Bƍ, C(single in two), D(s), E, F and Hƍ; preopercular
canal with Mƍ, N and Oƍ (one paratype missing
pore N and Oƍ in left side; the juvenile missing
canals in both side). The pattern of the cephalicsensory systems illustrated in Fig. 1.
The following characters are described basedon the cleared and stained paratype (KPM-NI
5888). Procurrent caudal rays＋segmented caudal rays v＋9＋8＋v. Gill rakers 1＋2. Upper
jaw teeth subequal, small, conical to slightly

Fig. 1. The cephalic sensory system of Gobiodon winterbottomi, KPM-NI 5887, holotype, 32.9 mm SL.
Dorsal (top), lateral (middle) and ventral (bottom)
views of head. The letters indicate the cephalicsensory canal pores. Dots represent the sensory
papillae. AN and PN indicate anterior and posteriornaris, respectively. Arrows show position wheregill membrane is attached to base of pectoral ¿n.

62

T. Suzuki, K. Yano and H. Senou

recurved, arranged in 2 or 3 irregular inner rows;
lower jaw teeth similar to those of upper jaw;
post-symphysial canine teeth absent.
First dorsal ¿n trapezoid in shape with straight
distal margin, originating directly over the upper
base of pectoral ¿ns; second spine of ¿rst dorsal¿n longest (¿rst and second spines in one), but
not elongate and ¿lamentous, not reaching posteriorly to second dorsal ¿n when adpressed;
spines decreasing in length posteriorly; height of¿rst dorsal ¿n less than that of second dorsal ¿nand attached to it via low membrane. Sixth segmented ray of second dorsal ¿n longest (fourth
segmented ray in one, eighth segmented ray inone), end of second dorsal ¿n extending posteriorly beyond middle of caudal-¿n base when
adpressed (reaching in one; not reaching in juve-nile); height of second dorsal ¿n less than that ofanal ¿n. Anal ¿n origin directly below base of¿rst segmented ray of second dorsal ¿n; sixth
segmented ray longest (seventh segmented ray intwo), reaching posteriorly to middle of caudal-¿nbase when adpressed (extending beyond in one;not reaching in juvenile); all dorsal- and anal-¿nsegmented rays branched, the last ray to base;distal margins of second dorsal and anal ¿nsslightly convex. Base of uppermost ray of pectoral ¿n directly below base of second spine of ¿rst
dorsal ¿n; posterior margin of pectoral ¿n elliptic(pointed posteriorly in one); all rays branched;¿n reaching posteriorly to vertical through baseof fourth ray of second dorsal ¿n (¿fth in two).
Origin of pelvic ¿ns directly below base of second spine of ¿rst dorsal ¿n; all rays branched;

Fig. 2. Gobiodon winterbottomi, KPM-NI 5887, holotype, 32.9 mm SL, Funauki inlet, Iriomote-jima Island, Yaeyama
Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. A: fresh specimen, photo by H. Senou. B: alcohol preserved specimen, photo by
T. Suzuki.

A New Species of Gobiodon

63

Fig. 3. Gobiodon winterbottomi, fresh specimens of paratypes, Funauki inlet, Iriomote-jima Island, Yaeyama Islands,
the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. A: NSMT-P 106563, male, 27.7 mm SL, photo by H. Senou. B: KPM-NI 5889, juvenile,19.0 mm SL, photo by H. Senou.

pelvic ¿ns joined medially, cup-shaped; frenum
and basal membrane complete and well developed; pelvic ¿ns reaching posteriorly to middleof genital papilla when adpressed (to posterior
half of genital papilla in one; to anus in juvenile).
Posterior margin of caudal ¿n rounded.
Color when fresh (Figs. 2A, 3). Head and bodylight brownish gray (dark brownish gray in juvenile). Fins light gray (black in juvenile). No
stripes or other markings.
Color in alcohol (Fig. 2B). Head and bodyyellowish gray (grayish brown in juvenile). Fins
light gray (grayish brown in juvenile). No stripes
or other markings.
Color when alive. Head, body and ¿ns darkbrownish gray to black. No stripes or other markings (Yano in Senou, 2004: 179).

Distribution. Iriomote-jima Island, Yaeyama
Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
Habitat. According to Suzuki and Shibukawa
in Senou (2004), G. winterbottomi occurs oncoral reefs of the reef slope at depths of 5–8 m.
Individuals only live as commensals on the plateshaped coral, Echinopora lamellosa.
Etymology. The new species is named after Dr.
Richard Winterbottom (ROM), in honor of his
great contribution to our knowledge of the systematics of the Gobioidei.
Comparisons. Gobiodon winterbottomi is very
similar to G. acicularis, adult G. albofasciatus,
G. ceramensis and adult G. spilophthalmus withwhich it shares a relatively overall uniform pigmentation of head, body and ¿ns, the lack of aninteropercle-isthmus groove, and the distal mar-64

T. Suzuki, K. Yano and H. Senou

gin of the ¿rst dorsal ¿n except ¿rst spine
straight (Harold and Winterbottom, 1995;
Sawada and Arai, 1972; Shibukawa et al., 2003;
Suzuki and Shibukawa, 2004; Yoshino andYamamoto, 1984; in this study). But the former
differs from the latter four species in having
large second dorsal, anal and pelvic ¿ns in adult:
second dorsal and anal ¿ns reaching posteriorly
to or beyond middle of caudal-¿n base whenappressed (vs. not reaching to middle of caudal¿n base in the latter), pelvic ¿ns reaching posteriorly to middle to posterior half of genital
papilla (vs. not reaching to anus or reaching tobase of genital papilla, see Harold and Winterbottom, 1995; Sawada and Arai, 1972; Shibukawa et al., 2003; Suzuki and Shibukawa, 2004;
Yoshino and Yamamoto, 1984; in this study).
Moreover, G. winterbottomi differs from G. acicularis in lacking highly elongated dorsal-¿nspines (see Harold and Winterbottom, 1995). It
differs from G. albofasciatus and G. spilophthalmus in the absence of stripes or other markingson head, body and ¿ns in juvenile (vs. body palewith two black stripes, and head and caudal ¿nwith many black spots in juvenile G. albofasciatus and G. spilophthalmus, see Fowler, 1944;
Sawada and Arai, 1972; Shibukawa et al., 2003;
Yoshino and Yamamoto, 1984). It differs from G.
ceramensis in lacking post-symphysial canine
teeth (vs. the teeth present).
Gobiodon winterbottomi is only found on
Echinopora lamellosa on the reef slope; whereas
G. acicularis is only seen on the tree-like formsof Echinopora horrida, Echinopora mammiformis and Hydnophora rigida in lagoons or
inshore; G. ceramensis frequently inhabits thetree-like form of Stylophora pistillata in lagoons
and sheltered areas; G. spilophthalmus is foundon a wide variety of coral species usually inlagoons or sheltered areas; and G. albofasciatus
is found on the tree-like forms of Acropora inlagoon and sheltered areas (Mundy et al., 1999;
Suzuki and Shibukawa, 2004; Yoshino andYamamoto, 1984).
Comparative material. Gobiodon ceramensis:
OMNH (the Osaka Natural History Museum) -P

34041-34043, 3 specimens (34.6–35.0 mm SL),
6–7 m depth, Kabira Inlet, Ishigaki-jima Island,
the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, 17 Aug. 1993.
Acknowledgments
We wish to express our sincere gratitude to K.
Hatooka (OMNH) and G. Shinohara (NSMT) for
their assistance in the present study. We also
thank A. S. Harold (Grice Marine Lab.) and R.
Winterbottom (ROM) for his critical commentson the manuscript.
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