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Vanderhorstia supersaiyan sp. nov. (Perciformes: Gobiidae) collected from the twilight zone off Ishigaki-jima Island, Okinawa, Japan

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Abstract

Vanderhorstia supersaiyan sp. nov. (Perciformes: Gobiidae) is described from a single specimen (77.0 mm in standard length) collected from 210 m depth off Ishigaki-jima Island, Okinawa, Japan. The new species has two distinct yellow longitudinal stripes on the second dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, which are unique features within the genus. The new species can also be clearly distinguished from congeners by other coloration features, including faint yellow spots on the head and dorsal body margin, distinct yellow blotches and yellow upper margin on the first dorsal fin, and four faint yellowish-brown diamond-shaped blotches laterally on the body. A combination of meristic and morphometric characters also set the new species apart from congeners, all of which inhabit significantly shallower depths. The study documents a new discovery in the twilight zone highlighting the value of advancing research in this little studied habitat.

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Acknowledgments

We are especially grateful to Takagi, Y. (Ishigaki City) for his support in the specimen collection. We also thank Senou, H. and Wada, H. (Kanagawa Prefectural Museum), Fujiwara, K. (The Kyoto University Museum), and Sato, M.C. (The Kagoshima University Museum) for providing references, and Kobayashi, H. (University of the Ryukyus) for advice on the study. Hardy, G.S. (Ngunguru, New Zealand) kindly improved the English in the manuscript. This study was supported in part by the Ocean Shot Research Grant Program of the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF) by the Nippon Foundation, JSPS grants (21K06313 to KK; 25K18536 to MS), and JST CREST (JPMJCR23J2 to KK).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Keita Koeda & Mao Sato

  2. Kuroshio Biological Research Foundation, 560 Nishidomari, Otsuki, Kochi, 788-0333, Japan

    Hiroshi Hirasaka

Authors
  1. Keita Koeda
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  2. Hiroshi Hirasaka
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  3. Mao Sato
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Correspondence to Keita Koeda.

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Koeda, K., Hirasaka, H. & Sato, M. Vanderhorstia supersaiyan sp. nov. (Perciformes: Gobiidae) collected from the twilight zone off Ishigaki-jima Island, Okinawa, Japan. Ichthyol Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-025-01047-6

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