Hazeus atrispinalis, a New Sand-dwelling Goby from the Western Pacific Ocean (Teleostei: Gobiidae)

Abstract

Hazeus atrispinalis sp. nov. (Gobiidae; Clear Sand-goby; new standard Japanese name: Okojo-haze) is described based on 40 specimens (16.7–31.8 mm standard length) collected from the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan, and confirmed based on underwater photographs from the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Republic of the Marshall Islands. The new species, which is the 10th valid species in the genus Hazeus Jordan and Snyder, 1901, is diagnosed from congeners by the following combination of characters: cheek and opercle naked; dorsal and anal-fin rays VI-I, 9 or 10; second or third spine of first dorsal fin longest, each without a filamentous tip; pectoral-fin rays 15–17; longitudinal scale rows 26 or 27; predorsal scales 6–9; snout relatively short, length 4.7%–6.4% of SL; second dorsal-fin spine short, length 7.8%–11.0% of SL; sensory papillae row a almost double, row ot uniserial, row n transverse; black markings internally along vertebral column in life; first dorsal fin with a black blotch near base in males; body without distinct dotted lines, except for mid-lateral row of five large black blotches; pelvic frenum translucent; maximum size ca. 32 mm SL. The new species most resembles H. ammophilus Allen and Erdmann, 2021, but prefers sand to sandy-mud bottoms, whereas H. ammophilus is commonly found on soft mud bottoms.