Sovvityazius acer Prokofiev, 2015

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Amblyopinae
Max. size:  4.7 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range - 50 m
Distribution:  Western Pacific: Philippines.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 6-6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 26-26; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 27-27; Vertebrae: 29-29. This species is distinguished by the following characters: body elongated (H 9.7-11.8 times in SL) but not eel-like; D 40-42 rays; A 38-40; oral fissure almost horizontal, with upper jaw slightly protruded over lower jaw; teeth on premaxillae in one row, uniformly sized, needle-shaped, and densely arranged and with tips slightly inclined posteriorly; teeth on lower jaw is similar, but 0-3 teeth located on each side near symphysis of dentals behind teeth of internal row; head depressed in dorsoventral direction, no sagittal crest, interorbital gap flattened, from 8-10 times in head length; eyes are exceptionally well developed in comparison to other representatives of subfamily, covered by skin, but with normal structure and their vertical diameter only one and half times less than interorbital gap; no barbels or dermal crests on head; P 17-20, symmetrical, with its rays totally connected by membrane and majority of its rays branched; V equal to or longer than P, 60-75% in head length, fully fused into a sucking disc, with rounded posterior margin, its frenum is narrow but fully developed, without lobules; formula of dorsal pterygiophores 3 1221, a vacant gap between spined and soft parts of D present, two first pterygiophores of soft part of D each in its interneural space and two pterygiophores of A before first hemapophysis, with all pterygiophores having normal structure; pleural ribs from third to tenth centra normally developed, ad parapophyses on posterior precaudal centra weakly developed; vertebrae 10 + 19; absence ot hypural 5 and epurals 2; scales cycloid and well developed; intestine elongated and spirally twisted (Ref. 129446).
Biology:  Collected from silty ground (Ref. 129446).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Type locality of Sovvityazius acer, to the east of Samar Island (Ref. 129446).


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