Seeing the invisible: Chriolepis lepidota (Gobiidae), literally as never seen before

Abstract

Background: For the first time, almost half a century after its discovery and description, the poorly known endemic gobiid fish Chriolepis lepidota was seen alive at Malpelo Island. Methods: During a 12-day expedition on March 2017, 18 specimens of this species were observed and photographed at different depths by means of SCUBA diving. Results: Species maximum size and habitat preference are herein documented.Conclusions: This sighting represents the first record of the species in the wild. Also, this report increases our knowledge on the ecology and biology of an unknown species.

A slender symbiotic goby hiding in burrows of mud shrimp Austinogebia edulis in western Taiwan

“…This species belongs to the family Gobiidae, which is a highly diverse bony fish family worldwide [48]. However, gobiids are important but frequently misidentified and their biology and ecological niche are poorly understood [49]. There are about 247 species from 77 genera in the gobiid family in Taiwan [50].…”

Volumen 49, numero Especial

“…Deeper platforms at Malpelo (100 to 150 m depth) (Stead, 1975;Niño et al, 2019), where suitable habitats for the Herre´s sole and other benthic fish could be found, are unexplored and understudied. More research is needed not only for A. herrei itself but also regarding the places it inhabits, especially at Malpelo, where new records have been reported on reef species, and exceptional behaviors of some species have been documented (Mora et al, 2000;Narvaez and Zapata, 2010;Quimbayo et al, 2010;Rodríguez-Moreno et al, 2011;Rojas-Vélez and Tavera, 2017;Tavera and Rojas-Vélez, 2017). individuo fue fotografiado completo antes de que escapara (Figura 1B).…”

Primer registro del lenguado de Herre, Aseraggodes herrei (Pleuronectiformes: Soleidae), en la isla Malpelo, Pacífico colombiano

“…Deeper platforms at Malpelo (100 to 150 m depth) (Stead, 1975;Niño et al, 2019), where suitable habitats for the Herre´s sole and other benthic fish could be found, are unexplored and understudied. More research is needed not only for A. herrei itself but also regarding the places it inhabits, especially at Malpelo, where new records have been reported on reef species, and exceptional behaviors of some species have been documented (Mora et al, 2000;Cohen-Rengifo et al, 2009;Narvaez and Zapata, 2010;Quimbayo et al, 2010;Rodríguez-Moreno et al, 2011;Rojas-Vélez and Tavera, 2017;Tavera and Rojas-Vélez, 2017). individuo fue fotografiado completo antes de que escapara (Figura 1B).…”