Curaçao, southern Caribbean

USNM 422679, 40.1 mm SL, tissue no. CUR13171, Curasub submersible, sta. CURASUB13-09, Curaçao, southwest tip of Klein Curaçao, 11.975783 N, 68.646192 W, 152 m depth, 27 May 2013, M. Harasewych, L. Weigt, B. Van Bebber & A. Schrier.

USNM 434772, 26.4 mm SL, tissue no. CUR15092, Curasub submersible, sta. CURASUB15-12, northwest corner of Klein Curaçao, 11.998453 N, 68.651308 W, 187 m depth, 27 August 2015, B. Brandt, A. Schrier, S. Haber & T. Haber; USNM 422670, 23.0 mm SL, tissue no. CUR13158, Curasub submersible, sta. CURASUB13-08, Curaçao, southwest tip of Klein Curaçao, 11.975783 N, 68.646192 W, 233 m depth, 27 May 2013, C. Baldwin, D. Robertson, B. Brandt, A. Schrier & L. Weigt.

A species of Lipogramma distinguishable from congeners by the following combination of characters: pectoral-fin rays 15–16 (modally 16), gill rakers 15–16 (modally 16); four supraorbital pores along dorsal portion of orbit, a pore present between pore at mid orbit and one at posterodorsal corner or orbit; caudal fin truncate, tips of lobes rounded; body with three dusky bars (one on head, two on trunk) on yellow/white background; width of bar on head sufficient to encompass pupil but not entire eye, width just ventral to eye averaging 17.6% head length; anterior trunk bar narrow and not extending forward to cover pectoral-fin base, bar lighter and less conspicuous ventrally; posterior trunk bar a broad, yellow/tan triangle that is wider dorsally than ventrally; this triangle extending onto soft dorsal fin as large, round, well-defined ocellus; posterior trunk bar not extending onto anal fin; dorsal fin with thin yellow sub-marginal stripe; no yellow submarginal stripe on anal fin; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins with numerous yellow spots. The new species is further differentiated from congeners for which molecular data are available in COI and RAG1.

Counts and measurements of type specimens given in Table 4. Frequency distributions of pectoral-fin rays and gill rakers on the first arch are given in Table 2. Three specimens examined, 23.0–40.1 mm SL. Dorsal-fin rays XII, 9 (last ray composite); anal-fin rays III, 8 (last ray composite); pectoral-fin rays 15–16, modally 16, 16 on both sides in holotype; pelvic-fin rays I,5; total caudal-fin rays 25 (13 + 12), principal rays 17 (9 + 8), spinous procurrent rays 6 (III + III), and 2 additional rays (i + i) between principal and procurrent rays that are neither spinous nor typically segmented; vertebrae 25 (10 + 15); pattern of supraneural bones, anterior dorsal-fin pterygiophores and dorsal-fin spines 0/0/0+2/1+1/1/; ribs on vertebrae 3-10; epineural bones present on vertebrae 1–15 in one paratype, difficult to assess in other specimens; gill rakers on first arch 15–16 (4-5 + 11), 15 (4 + 11) in holotype, both paratypes with 16 (5 + 11); lowermost two rakers very small, all other gill rakers elongate and slender with tooth-like secondary rakers as in Lipogramma evides (Fig. 3); pseudobranchial filaments 6, filaments fat and fluffy; branchiostegals 6.

Spinous and soft dorsal fins confluent, several soft rays in posterior portion of fin forming elevated lobe that extends posteriorly beyond base of caudal fin. Pelvic fin extending posteriorly to anterior third of caudal peduncle in holotype when depressed, longest pelvic-fin rays broken in preserved specimens. Dorsal profile from snout to origin of dorsal fin convex. Diameter of eye of holotype contained 2.7 times in head length. Pupil slightly tear shaped, with small aphakic space anteriorly. Scales extending anteriorly onto top of head, ending short of coronal pore. Scales present on cheeks, opercle, preopercle, interopercle, and isthmus. Scales lacking on frontal region, snout, jaws, and branchiostegals. Scales large and deciduous, too many missing in paratypes to make counts, holotype with approximately 24 lateral scales between shoulder and base of caudal fin, 5 cheek rows, and 11 rows across body above anal-fin origin. Scales on head and nape without cteni, scales on rest of body ctenoid. Fins naked except small scales present at bases of soft dorsal and anal fins.

Margins of bones of opercular series smooth, opercle without spines. Premaxilla with band of small conical teeth, band widest at symphysis, outer row with largest teeth, 3 or 4 near symphysis enlarged into canines. Dentary similar except 4-6 anterior teeth enlarged into canines. Vomer with chevron-shaped patch of teeth, palatine with long series of small teeth. Several canals and pores visible on head, but most pores inconspicuous. Conspicuous pores present in infraorbital canal (2) and in supraorbital canal bordering dorsal portion of orbit (4); less conspicuous pores present on top of head (1 median coronal pore), preopercle (8), and lateral-line canal in posttemporal region (3). An additional 4 tiny pores present beneath orbit in holotype in infraorbital canal. Supraorbital pore pattern as in Lipogramma evides (Fig. 4): anteriormost of 4 supraorbital pores situated at anterodorsal corner of orbit, second supraorbital pore situated above mid orbit, and posteriormost supraorbital pore situated at posterodorsal corner of orbit. Between second and posteriormost supraorbital pores, another pore present and situated closer to latter. Posterior nostril situated just ventral to anteriormost supraorbital pore, nostril a single large opening with ventral portion of rim slightly elevated. Anterior nostril in tube with anterior flap and situated just posterior to upper lip. No lateral line present on body.

Coloration: In life, ground color of head and trunk pale yellow to tan dorsally, white ventrally. Head: mostly pale yellow-tan with white blotch on operculum; a brown to black C-shaped bar with yellow-brown edges originating on top of head, widening ventrally above orbit to width of pupil and passing over orbit at that width, then narrowing ventrally and continuing as dark line along lower edge of operculum; iris dark brown above and below where bar passes through, yellowish-white anteriorly and posteriorly, a thin gold ring circling pupil. Trunk: two dark bars beneath dorsal fin, anterior one brown to blackish (edged with yellow-brown) originating below anterior dorsal spines and descending obliquely behind pectoral-fin base to ventral midline; bar fading below pectoral-fin base; posterior bar much broader than anterior bar but paler and less conspicuous, bar spanning dorsal and ventral body margins and covering anterior half of caudal peduncle; bar narrowing ventrally. Dorsal fin: grey with a bluish tint (when photographed against black background – Fig. 7, bottom), with thin, submarginal yellow stripe; spinous dorsal fin with row of round to oblong yellow spots along base, 1–2 rows of obliquely oriented, oval, yellow spots above that; soft dorsal with large, conspicuous, circular, black ocellus covering lower half of fin and extending onto dorsal portion of trunk; thin, white, outer ring surrounding ocellus on both fin and trunk complete in holotype (Fig. 7), absent along underside of ocellus in both paratypes; above ocellus, soft dorsal fin with approximately three rows of rounded yellow spots; grey spaces between yellow spots appearing as well-defined grey to blue spots posteriorly. Anal fin: grey with bluish tint (when photographed against black background), each ray with 3-6 elongate yellow spots from base to fin edge; grey spaces between yellow spots appearing as well-defined grey to blue spots posteriorly. Caudal fin: base of fin mostly yellow, remainder of fin with rows of yellow spots along fin rays; grey spaces between yellow spots appearing as well-defined grey or blue spots. Pectoral fins: base yellowish with black dots, fin translucent. Pelvic fins: bright white, inner 2-3 rays with series of small yellow-brown dots. In preservative (Fig. 5B), barred color pattern retained, posterior trunk bar faint, and yellow and bluish pigments absent.

Known only from Klein Curaçao, a 1.7 km² island 11 km southeast of Curaçao.

No specific habitat information recorded.

Named in honor of Spencer and Tomoko Haber, who funded and participated in a submersible dive by the Smithsonian’s Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP) that resulted in the collection of USNM 434772, a paratype of the new species.

We propose “Yellow Banded Basslet” (“Cabrilleta cinta-amarilla” as the spanish equivalent) to distinguish Lipogramma haberi from Lipogramma evides and Lipogramma levinsoni. Although Lipogramma evides has a submarginal yellow stripe along the dorsal and anal fins, it lacks the overall yellow body color of Lipogramma haberi.

Table 3 shows average inter- and intraspecific divergences in COI among species of Lipogramma analyzed genetically in this study. Lipogramma haberi exhibits 0.2% intraspecific genetic variation and 11.0–27.9% divergence from other Lipogramma species. It differs from Lipogramma evides by 11.0% and from levinsoni by 19.0%.

Relative to Lipogramma levinsoni and Lipogramma evides, which are known from multiple localities within the Caribbean Sea, Lipogramma haberi is an uncommon species on deep reefs and may have a more restricted geographic distribution. Although both Lipogramma levinsoni and Lipogramma evides are frequently observed and collected off the southern coast of Curaçao, in more than one hundred submersible dives there we have not collected Lipogramma haberi. Rather, we have only collected Lipogramma haberi on infrequent trips to Klein Curaçao, a small island, as noted above, 11 km southeast of Curaçao.