Alabes obtusirostris Hutchins &amp; Morrison 2004
Creators: name: Hutchin, Barry
name: Morrison, Sue
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2004
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Gobiesociformes
Gobiesocidae
Alabes
Alabes obtusirostris

description: <i>Alabes obtusirostris</i> n.sp Fig. 1; Tables 1, 4 <b>Type material</b>. HOLOTYPE: CSIRO H.4462-01, 46 mm SL, Victoria, east of Lakes Entrance (between 37°52.8'S 148°11.8'E and 37°51.7'S 148°13.8'E), benthic sled at 28 m, FRV <i>Southern Surveyor</i>, 24 November 1996. PARATYPE: AMS I.37755-001, 21 mm SL, Western Australia, east of Binningup (33°09'S 114°49'E), depth 65 m, CSIRO, 10 August 1962 (field number G3/176/62). <b>Diagnosis</b>. The diagnostic characters of <i>Alabes obtusirostris</i> are listed in Table 1. It differs from all other species of <i>Alabes</i> by a combination of its moderately large gill opening (3.1– 4.3 in HL), lack of a pelvic-fin rudiment, absence of all cephalic pores in the lateral-line system, and its large number (40) of epineural ribs. It possesses a short, blunt head with wide lips (giving it a rather pugnacious appearance), and short dorsal and anal fins. <b>Description</b>. Measurements of the holotype and paratypes are presented in Table 4. Body almost cylindrical, reaching a maximum depth about middle of body, then tapering posteriorly, body depth 13.6 (17.6) in SL, maximum body width (= width at level of gill slit) 14.3 (19.2) in SL; head rounded to somewhat blunt anteriorly, a little wider than body (head width 1.6 [1.9] in HL), HL 8.4(8.5) in SL; snout rather truncate in dorsal view, length 4.6 (4.1) in HL; diameter of orbit 4.8 (3.8) in HL, noticeably greater than bony interorbital width (6.9 [10.3] in HL); lateral-line sensory system lacking cephalic pores; gill opening a moderately narrow slit, length 3.1 (4.3) in HL; mouth terminal or lower jaw slightly projecting over upper jaw, upper and lower lips both fleshy and wide, producing a somewhat pugnacious appearance, rear corner of mouth reaching almost to below anterior margin of eye (pigmented area); teeth in holotype worn and more incisorform, those of paratype smaller, conical, caninelike, 1 row in upper and lower jaws; caudal fin with 8 fin rays; bases of dorsal and anal fins relatively short, insertion of dorsal fin well posterior to vertical through urogenital opening (snout to insertion 1.7 [2.0], snout to urogenital opening 2.5, both in SL); anal fin very short, insertion almost at caudal fin (snout to insertion 1.2 [1.1]in SL); total vertebrae could not be counted for holotype but cleared and stained paratype has a total of 70 vertebra (23 precaudal), with last epineural on 40th vertebra. <b>Preserved coloration</b> (in alcohol). Head and body overall pale brown, fins more translucent; very faint indication of 3–5 reddish crossbands or blotches on body, more obvious on lower half of body. <b>Live coloration</b>. Unknown but bands described above could have been blackish (see colour description of <i>A. scotti</i> n.sp. below). <b>Distribution</b>. <i>Alabes obtusirostris</i> is known from only two locations: off Lakes Entrance in Victoria and off Binningup in southwestern Western Australia. <b>Remarks</b>. This species has only been collected from coastal waters at depths between 28 and 65 m. Like <i>Alabes scotti</i> (described below), it appears to inhabit sandy bottoms. However, morphologically, it has more in common with <i>A. dorsalis</i> and <i>A. elongata</i> (described above); its body anteriorly is rather cylindrical in cross-section and it possesses a large gill opening, but it lacks the prominent rudimentary pelvic fin that characterizes the latter two species. This species is named <i>obtusirostris</i> with reference to its blunt snout.
description: Published as part of <i>Hutchin, Barry &amp; Morrison, Sue, 2004, Five New Fish Species of the Genus Alabes (Gobiesocidae: Cheilobranchinae), pp. 147-158 in Records of the Australian Museum 56 (2)</i> on page 152, DOI: 10.3853/j.0067-1975.56.2004.1426