Pomatoschistus minutus, (Pallas, 1770) (Pallas, 1770)

Kovačić, Marcelo, Svensen, Rudolf, Renoult, Julien P. & Patzner, Robert A., 2025, Checklist, key and latitudinal distribution of the eastern Atlantic marine gobies along the European coast (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae and Oxudercidae), Zootaxa 5609 (1), pp. 1-28 : 14

P. minutus northernmost record

Material. PMR VP5785 , male, 54.1+ 10.9 mm ( Fig. 18 ); Hasvik , Sørøya, Norway; 70° 28’ 21.5’’ N, 22° 10’ 30.0’’ E; A. Dal, 29 March 2024 .

Species identification. Pomatoschistus minutus is distinguished from congeneric species by the following combination of characters: (1) second dorsal fin I/10-12 (present specimen: I/11); anal fin I/9-12 (present specimen: I/11); (2) pectoral fin rays 18-21 (present specimen: 18 and 19); (3) branchiostegal membrane attached along 1/2 of isthmus to below preopercular edge; (4) anterior transverse membrane with villose edge; (5) caudal fin truncate; (6) scales in lateral series 55-75 (present specimen: 65+1 and 63+1); (7) predorsal area posteriorly scaled; (8) breast scaled; (9) the entire first and second dorsal fin base scaled; (10) pore δ present; (11) suborbital longitudinal row a with numerous transverse rows below eye; (12) suborbital longitudinal row a from below anterior edge of eye to below posterior edge of eye with the posteriormost transverse row a the longest, distant from pore α; (13) suborbital row b anteriorly beginning below anterior eye; (14) suborbital row b posteriorly ending near pore δ; (15) 10 to 11 suborbital transverse rows c (present specimen 10); (16) transverse rows c with 10 or more papillae; (17) suborbital transverse rows c anterior to longitudinal row b with upper end at level of row b or above it; (18) 5 to 9 suborbital transverse rows c below row b (present specimen: 5); (19) only one posterior suborbital transverse row c is going below level of row d; (20) suborbital row d continuous; (21) oculoscapular transverse row q behind pore ρ, variable in length, but extending above pore ρ and ending downwards below level of pore ρ; (22) anterior dorsal transversal row o long, closer to row n than to row g and distant in middorsal from other row o; (23) body with reticulate pattern following scale edges on the upper half; lateral midline with several spots and midline mark at caudal peduncle end; preserved males with a few additional diffuse bars superimposed over midlateral spots, extended from middorsal down to the lower half of the body.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Pomatoschistus minutus, PMR VP5785, male, 54.1+10.9 mm; Hasvik, Sørøya, Norway. A: alive specimen; B: preserved specimen. Photos by A. Dal (A) and M. Kovačić (B).