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Opistognathus thionyi Smith-Vaniz, Tornabene & Macieira, 2018 Thiony's jawfish |
| Family: | Opistognathidae (Jawfishes) | |||
| Max. size: | 5.35 cm SL (male/unsexed) | |||
| Environment: | reef-associated; marine; depth range 10 - 65 m | |||
| Distribution: | Southwest Atlantic: Brazil. | |||
| Diagnosis: | Dorsal spines (total): 11-11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-16; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 14-15; Vertebrae: 28-28. This species is distinguished by the following set characters: anterior nostril is a short tube with simple cirrus on posterior rim; maxilla rigid, not produced as a thin flexible lamina posteriorly; no supramaxilla; subopercle with a broad, fan-like flap; vomer with one tooth; pale buccal area surrounding esophageal opening; body with 45-52 oblique body scale rows in longitudinal series; vertebrae 10 + 18; spinous dorsal fin with black blotch, when present, between spines 2-5. Colouration: body with five poorly defined irregular bands and sides sometimes with diagonal rows of pale spots smaller than eye diameter; when present, a black blotch in spinous dorsal fin between spines 2-5; buccal area surrounding esophageal opening pale. Also easily distinguished from its congeners by the divergence in the mitochondrial gene COI, as specimens form a monophyletic group that differs from its closest relative (O. maxillosus) by an average of 9% (654 bp analyzed) (Ref. 129348). | |||
| Biology: | Found solitarily, always in small constructed burrows on sandy rubble bottoms. It feeds on small benthic organisms that live near the bottom (e.g., small shrimps) (Ref. 128653). | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | harmless | |||
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