Derilissus lombardii Sparks & Gruber, 2012

Family:  Gobiesocidae (Clingfishes and singleslits), subfamily: Gobiesocinae
Max. size:  1.09 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Bahamas.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-8; Anal soft rays: 7-7; Vertebrae: 25-25. This species is distinguished from its congeners (and all other Bahamian gobiesocids) by the following characters: bright orangish-red coloration, yellow head, a prominent black oval patch on the caudal peduncle; pattern of papillae in disk region C; anteriorly, 2 distinct medial clusters, each comprising 8-9 closely arrayed papillae, and a single papilla anterior of each cluster, are present (vs. 2-5 papillae in each central cluster and 4-5 papillae arranged in a distinct crescent posterolaterally); posteriorly, papillae in disk region C are in a crescent pattern with a single additional papilla dorsal to its midpoint (vs. papillae in an inverted V-shaped pattern in D. nanus, D. altifrons, D. kremnobates; clumped in D. vittager); posterior margin of disk region B in the new species is strongly convex (vs. straight to weakly convex) with the rows of papillae arranged serially in a semi-circular pattern forming concentric crescents (vs. rows more or less straight); possess a total of 47 pectoral-fin rays (Ref. 91048).
Biology:  Apparently closely associated with deep reefs, not straying far from the safety of a coral head (Ref. 91048).
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 10 September 2014 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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