A new cave-dwelling species of <i>Trimma</i> (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the Red Sea, with notes on Red Sea endemism in <i>Trimma</i> spp.

ABSTRACT: A new species of the gobiid genus Trimma is described from the Farasan Banks in the southeastern Red Sea. The new species is characterized by having a predorsal midline with 7-8 scales, the fifth pelvic-fin ray unbranched, cheek and opercle scaleless, all pectoral-fin rays unbranched, and a dorsal fin VI + I,7, without elongate spines. In life, the species is bright yellow throughout, with a distinctive yellow-green longitudinal band in the central third of the dorsal fins. The new species inhabits caves on exposed offshore reefs at depths between 15 and 30 m where it occurs in small groups of up to 10 individuals. The new species appears to be sister to T. winchi from the western Indian Ocean. We also present a multilocus phylogeny (COI, 16S, Ptr, S7I1), including all known

SUBMITTER: Peinemann VN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12531819 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature