Review of the Dragonets (Pisces: Callionymidae) of the Hawaiian Islands, with Descriptions of Two New Species

Abstract

Eight species of dragonets, family Callionymidae, are reported from the Hawaiian Islands: Callionymus caeruleonotatus Gilbert, known from 12 specimens taken by trawling in 43-252 m, the male with the two middle caudal rays greatly prolonged; C. comptus, a new species described from nine Hawaiian specimens, 15.0-30.3 mm SL, characterized by eight soft dorsal and seven anal rays, usually a small spinule on lower side of preopercular spine (in addition to the antrorse spine at the base), and a color pattern of a narrow midlateral yellow stripe edged in pale blue spots and overlaid with six brownish orange blotches; C. decoratus (Gilbert), known to 208 mm SL, the male with a caudal fin that may exceed the standard length; Draculo pogognathus (Gosline) from shallow water in sand, unique in lacking a membrane connecting the inner pelvic ray to the pectoral-fin base and in having a fringe of papillae on the lower lip; Synchiropus corallinus (Gilbert) with a small cirrus on the eye, previously classified in Callionymus, Paradiplogrammus, and Minisynchiropus, also known from Japan and New Caledonia; S. kinmeiensis (Nakabo, Yamamoto & Chen), a red species represented by 186 Hawaiian specimens, 56-136 mm SL, trawled from 220-532 m (previously misidentified as the Japanese species S. altivelis); S. rosulentus, a small species (largest, 21.5 mm SL) described as new from 20 specimens from the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Island (it is one of a complex of six allopatric species, the males of which have the first dorsal fin about twice the height of the second dorsal and two small elliptical jet black spots above the base of each pelvic fin); and S. rubrovinctus Gilbert, known from three male specimens, 14.2-19.5 mm SL, trawled from 51.5-79 m between Maui and Uina'i, and one female specimen, 21.5 mm SL, collected in a tide pool at Izu Peninsula, Japan; both sexes are characterized by a long filamentous first dorsal spine and three broad red bars dorsally on the body.