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Researchers from Japan's Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) and Western Philippines University (WPU) have discovered two new species of goby fish in Palawan which is a Philippines archipelago and home to more than a dozen species of goby.
The two newly discovered species of goby fish belongs to the genus Rhinogobius and were recently described in the journal Zootaxa.
The new species were given the Latin scientific name Rhinogobius estrellae, named after the waterfall Estrella Falls, in Barangay Estrella Village, where the goby was discovered.
Rhinogobius tandikan is the scientific name given to the Palawan peacock-pheasant, colloquially known as "Tandikan," which inspired the second species' name. |
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Discovery of Two New Species of Goby Fish
The first author of the study and staff scientist in OIST's Marine Eco-Evo-Devo Unit, Dr. Ken Maeda says the Tandikan goby's spots reminded him of the blue marks on the Tandikan's body.
This collaboration between OIST and WPU has discovered the third and fourth new goby species in Palawan, following Stiphodon palawanensis and Lentipes palawanirufus, which were discovered last year.
The fact that Rhinogobius may be found as far south as Palawan reveals that this goby genus's range is significantly larger than previously thought.
"We were very surprised the first time we saw Rhinogobius estrallae, and then really excited when we found the second species," said Dr. Maeda. "The Rhinogobius habitat is typically located in temperate and sub-tropical regions further north than Palawan, in places like Vietnam, China, Japan, and even the Russian Far East. Finding gobies from this genus in Palawan was very unexpected." |
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