Discover New Clingfish Species in Southern Australia
A new genus and four new species of Clingfish have been described from temperate southern Australia. Melanophorichthys is distinguished from other related genera by colour pattern, the presence of numerous, large, dark brown to black melanophores along the side of the body in adults, and sexually dimorphic and dichromatic dorsal and anal fins which are larger and more colourful in males.
The new genus includes four new species – type species Melanophorichthys posidonus from South Australia and Victoria, Melanophorichthys priscillae from Western Australia, Melanophorichthys parvipsittus from Victoria and Tasmania, and Melanophorichthys penicillus from Western Australia.
Tiny in size, they range from just 16-35mm in length and are coloured and patterned to resemble the blades of seagrass they cling to.
They’ve been described in the Journal Zootaxa by Kevin Conway, Glenn Moore, and Adam Summers. For more info go to 10.11646/zootaxa.5552.1.1
