Revised Diagnosis of the Rare Clingfish Kopua nuimata (Gobiesocidae) with Notes on Fresh Coloration and First Australian Record

Abstract

The live coloration of Kopua nuimata Hardy, 1984 is described for the first time based on a recently collected specimen from south of Norfolk Island, Australia. The new color information includes new diagnostic characters of the species, including arch-shaped blotches on the lateral aspect of the body and two reddish-orange stripes on the cheek. Although K. minima (Döderlein, 1887) and K. yoko Fujiwara, Okamoto, and Motomura, 2018 share a similar live coloration with K. nuimata, K. kuiteri Hutchins, 1991 and K. vermiculata Shinohara and Katayama, 2015 differ markedly by lacking arch-shaped blotches on the body and by exhibiting reddish-orange markings on the cheek. A revised diagnosis and redescription of K. nuimata is provided based on the recently collected specimen, which represents the first Australian record of the species.