Varicus nigritus Gilmore, Van Tassell & Baldwin, 2016
Banded splitfin goby

Family:  Gobiidae (Gobies), subfamily: Gobiinae
Max. size:  3.54 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range - 244 m
Distribution:  Western Central Atlantic: Bahamas.
Diagnosis:  Anal soft rays: 8-8; Vertebrae: 27-27. This species can be distinguished by the following set of characters: D1 fin with small filaments extending beyond membrane on spine tips, spines 2-4 nearly equal; D2 I,9; A I,8; P 17, rays 14-15 elongate extending to a vertical through 5th second dorsal-fin ray, past the anal origin to vertical through anal rays 4-5; pelvic fins well separated, all rays unbranched without flattened fleshy tips, long ray extending past anus to anal fin origin; no scales on body of preserved specimen, though small embedded ctenoid scale at D1 fin base; modified basicaudal scales present; papillae rows 5s and 5i connected as a continuous transverse row; interorbital papillae row pc’ and pe’ present; no cephalic lateralis pores on head or preopercle; single anal fin pterygiophore inserted anterior to haemal arch; presence of 7 black stripes from below eye to caudal peduncle (Ref. 113825).
Biology:  Collected on the shore from a steep rocky slope (45° slope) with thin and sparse calcareous Halimeda rubble layer, mixed with interspersed flat rock outcroppings, hard rock unlayment and scattered rock boulders ca. 1 to 30 m in diameter (Ref. 113825).
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 09 October 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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