Knipowitschia byblisia Ahnelt, 2011, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ahnelt, Harald
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Perciformes
Gobiidae
Knipowitschia
Knipowitschia byblisia

description: Knipowitschia byblisia sp. nov.
Byblis Goby
Figures 1–2
Synonymy. Pomatoschistus (Bubyr) caucasicus kosswigi. Ladiges 1964: 212 (part).
Holotype. ZMH 2175:1, female, 21.1 mm SL; Turkey, Lake Köycegiz, 36°55’N, 28°40’E; collected 31. October 1946.
Paratypes. ZMH 2175:2–2175:6, five females, 18.5–25.4 mm SL; ZMH 2175:7–2175:8, four males, 21.5– 25.2 mm SL; ZMH 2175:9–2175:13, five juveniles, 13.4–14.6 mm SL; same as holotype.
Etymology. Named for the mythological figure Byblis, twin sister of Caunos who founded the ancient city Caunos at the Anatolian southwest coast. The ruins of this city are located close to Lake Köycegiz.
Diagnosis. A Knipowitschia with (1) scales in two patches in the axillary area and on the caudal region respectively; (2) rear part of the caudal peduncle, immediately anterior to the caudal fin, naked; (3) head canals reduced to two short postorbital canals; (4) three rows of free neuromasts in the interorbit, a paired longitudinal row and a short transverse row; (5) internal preoperculo-mandibular row extending postero-dorsally replacing the preopercular canal, at least in part of the population; (6) male colouration with 8–9 dark vertical bars on the sides, dark blotch on the rear of the first dorsal fin, and (7) first dorsal fin with six to seven rays.
Description. Measurements of the holotype (21.1 mm SL) and nine adult paratypes (18.5–25.4 mm SL) as percent of standard length (range and mean in parentheses, values of holotype in brackets): head length 26.1–30.4 (27.8) [30.8], head width 12.2–12.6 (12.3) [11.4], distance from snout to origin of first dorsal fin 37.4–42.1 (39.5) [43.1], distance from snout to origin of second dorsal fin 56.7–60.1 (58.9) [57.9], distance from snout to anus 53.2– 56.4 (54.9) [53.7], distance from snout to origin of anal fin 57.4–59.3 (58.8) [58.1], distance from snout to origin of pelvic fin 30.8–33.1 (31.6) [33.2], caudal peduncle length 22.3–26.1 (25.3) [23.2], length of first dorsal fin base 9.8–10.6 (10.3) [10.9], length of second dorsal fin base 15.6–17.5 (16.8) [17.1], length of anal fin base 13.3–15.0 (14.1) [15.2], caudal fin length 21.9–23.2 (22.4) [22.1], pectoral fin length 21.3–23.6 (22.8) [21.3], pelvic fin length 20.4–22.9 (22.0) [20.6], body depth at pelvic fin origin 18.6–19.7 (19.1) [18.5], body depth at anal fin origin 13.3–15.0 (14.2) [14.2], body width at anal fin origin 8.3–10.2 (9.4) [9.1], caudal peduncle depth 10.2–11.6 (10.7) [9.6] distance from origin of pelvic fin to anus 25.5–28.1 (26.8) [24.9]; as percent in caudal peduncle length: caudal peduncle depth 37.6–43.4 (41.8) [44.7]; as percentage of head length: snout length 20.6–23.5 (21.8) [20.0], postorbital length 46.1–50.0 (48.4) [49.2], eye diameter 25.5–28.6 (26.7) [26.2], cheek depth 17.5–19.0 (18.1) [17.9]; as percentage of eye diameter: interorbital width 55.5–62.2 (58.9) [54.7]; as percentage of distance from origin of pelvic fin to anus: pelvic fin length 73.6–90.6 (92.7) [99.0].
Counts (values of the holotype are indicated by *): first dorsal fin VI–VII (VI*: 14, VII: 1); second dorsal fin I/ 7–9 (7: 1, 8*: 12, 9: 2); anal fin I/7–8 (7*: 9, 8: 6); pectoral fin 15–17 (15*: 6, 16: 8, 17: 1); pelvic fins (united, forming disc) I/5 + 5/I, fifth ray longest; caudal fin 15 segmented and 13 branched rays.
The squamation is reduced to two patches of ctenoid scales, one in the axillary area, the second on the caudal peduncle (n = 7*). In two other specimens these patches are connected by a narrow band of scales in lateral midline. Specimens <15 mm SL are not considered. The scales of the posterior patch do not extend to the rear end of the caudal peduncle, leaving a narrow naked area immediately anterior of the caudal fin.
Lateral-line system (Figure 2): Head canals distinctly reduced. Posterior oculoscapular and preopercular canals absent. Only remnants of the anterior oculoscapular canal are left, i.e. the postorbital sections of the supraorbital canal with the pores D and F present. Both canal remnants are not fused in the midline.
Rows and, in parentheses mean of numbers of free neuromasts (sensory papillae) from six type specimens with conspicuous head neuromasts which are important to separate this species from K. caunosi and from other congeners.
Innervation by the anterior lateral-line nerve: (1) supraorbital: longitudinal rostral row s (11.5) a continuous row ending anteriorly close to anterior nostril; longitudinal interorbital row p (6.2) replacing interorbital section of the supraorbital canal; transversal row w (5.8), continuous (n = 4) or divided in a left and a right section (n = 2). (2) Infraorbital: longitudinal row a (8.5) with one to two transverse rows (1.8); transversal row s3 (2.9) internal to supraorbital row s and close to upper lip. (3) Hyomandibular longitudinal row b (9.8) anteriorly not reaching below orbit; longitudinal row i (37.8) at least with two (n = 4) or with 3–5 (n = 2) neuromasts in course of the reduced preopercular canal. (4) Otic transversal row tra (3.7) short and confluent with supraorbital row n. Innervation by the posterior lateral-line nerve: (1) supratemporal transversal row tr (6.7) short, not reaching close to longitudinal row m (4.1). (2) Posterior dorsal row y (1.0) present. Posterior lateral transverse axillary row as1 (12.1) long, dorsally extending well above the longitudinal axillary rows la.
The possession of a transverse row of free neuromasts in the interorbit was believed to be a feature to separate Hyrcanogobius Iljin 1928 from Knipowitschia (Miller 2004).
Coloration in preserved specimens. Description of colouration is based on preserved material. All specimens are pale fawn. Markings on the body are very indistinct, possibly due to preservation. Two males with about eight to nine faded stripes and blotches along lateral midline and a distinct dark spot in the rear of the first dorsal fin restricted to the area between fifth and sixth fin ray, not extending to the end of the fin membrane. Indistinct dark blotches in lateral midline of females but very faded. No dark blotch on chin in females.
description: Published as part of Ahnelt, Harald, 2011, Two new sympatric Knipowitschia species (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from an eastern Mediterranean coastal lake — examples of different dispersal patterns?, pp. 22-30 in Zootaxa 3114 on pages 23-25, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.202003