Sueviota bryozophila Allen, Erdmann & Cahyani, 2016
Bryozoan goby
photo by DeLoach, N.

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  1.32 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 15 - 30 m,
Distribution:  Eastern Indian Ocean: currently known only from the type locality in Indonesia at Ambon, Molucca Islands and from Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, as well as from underwater photographs in Banda, Molucca Islands, and Alor, Lesser Sunda Islands (Ref. 107790).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): -7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: -1; Anal soft rays: 7-8; Vertebrae: -26. Diagnosis: 2nd dorsal-fin rays I,8 or 9; anal-fin rays I,7 or 8; pectoral-fin rays 16, all rays unbranched; segmented pelvic-fin rays unbranched, except 5th ray with single branching, all pelvic-fin rays connected by a well-developed membrane, extending nearly to tip of each ray, forming disk, pelvic frenum absent; sensory pores on dorsal surface of head reduced, only a single pair of mid-interorbital pores; other cephalic sensory pores include supraotic (1), anterior otic (1), and preopercular (2); missing head pores include nasal, anterior interorbital, and intertemporal; anterior nares forming enlarged tube, its length about half pupil diameter; color in life whitish to light pink with scattered red spots (Ref. 107790). Description: dorsal-fin elements VI+I,8-9; 1st dorsal fin gently rounded without filamentous spines, 2nd and 3rd spines longest; anal-fin elements I,7-8; pectoral-fin rays 16, all rays unbranched; pelvic-fin rays I,5, 1st to 4th segmented rays unbranched, 5th ray with single branching about half-way along its length, 4th and 5th rays longest, pelvic-fin membranes between the rays well-developed, forming disk, pelvic frenum absent; caudal fin with 12 branched and 17 segmented rays and 5–6 unsegmented (procurrent) rays dorsally and ventrally; transverse scale rows 7; scales finely ctenoid on body, no cycloid scales present; head, belly and breast region without scales; anterior extent of scales level with a line between upper margin of pectoral fin and about origin of 2nd dorsal fin, except narrow naked area also present immediately below base of 2nd dorsal fin; front of head sloping with an angle of about 55° from horizontal axis; mouth terminal, inclined obliquely upwards, forming an angle of about 65° to horizontal axis of body, lower jaw not projecting; maxilla extending posteriorly to about anterior edge of pupil; dentition as illustrated for genus by Winterbottom & Hoese (1988), consisting of about 3 irregular rows of short conical teeth in each jaw, with 3–5 enlarged, curved, spaced canines in outer row near symphysis of upper jaw; lower jaw with single enlarged canine in innermost row near symphysis; both nostrils with enlarged opening, anterior nares forming tube, its length about half pupil diameter, posterior nares with elevated rim; gill opening extending forward to below posteroventral edge of preoperculum; cephalic sensory pores include paired interorbital pores, supraotic pore, anterior otic pore, and paired preopercular pores; urogenital papilla in female smooth, bulbous, with pair of finger-like projections laterally on each side; that of male smooth and elongate (reaching base of anal-fin spine), with weakly fimbriate margin; origin of 1st dorsal fin slightly behind posterior margin of pectoral-fin base; origin of 2nd dorsal fin about level with anal-fin origin (Ref. 107790). Color in life: generally pale pink to whitish, semi-translucent on posteriormost portion of body, including caudal peduncle; widely scattered red spots on dorsal surface of head, nape, upper operculum, and along base of dorsal fin, generally smaller posteriorly; interrupted, diffuse, internal white stripe following vertebral column sometimes evident; fins semi-translucent white; head, body, and fins densely covered with fine, bright white speckling; pupil green when illuminated with strobe light (Ref. 107790). Color in alcohol: uniformly whitish to slightly pale yellowish with no hint of red spots as seen in life (Ref. 107790).
Biology:  Closely associated with a bryozoan, which is provisionally identified as a member of the genus Triphyllozoon; the color pattern of the fish effectively blends with the coloration of the host invertebrate, and the fish effectively maintains a burrow within the folded recesses of the bryozoan colony; the depth range of collections and observations was about 15-30 m, usually on black volcanic-sand slopes, with the inconspicuous bryozoan colonies (roughly spherical-shaped with a diameter ranging from 3-7 cm) often attached to small pieces of coral rubble or volcanic rock (Ref. 107790).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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