New deepwater species of the genus Gobiopsis (Gobiidae) from the Tropical Western Pacific

Abstract

A new species, Gobiopsis uranophilus sp. n., is described off the Anambas Islands, South China Sea, from a depth of 73 m. The species is similar to the deepwater Japanese species G. namnas, but it differs in the dorsal orientation of the eyes, total absence of pores of the seismosensory system on the head, number of fin rays, and other characters. The similar patterns of the two species (presence of scales on the sides of the head, absence of the barbel-shaped appendages on the head, and large scales on the body), most likely, are connected with their adaptation to deepwater habitats.