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A detailed morphological investigation, including osteological anatomy based on micro-CT scans, of two poorly known monotypic genera and species of gobiesocids, Lissonanchus lusherae Smith 1966 and Briggsia hastingsi Craig and Randall 2009, revealed that no generic-level differences existed between the two species. Briggsia Craig and Randall 2009, therefore, is a junior synonym of Lissonanchus Smith 1966. Lissonanchus is rediagnosed, having the following characters: 30 or 31 vertebrae; cephalic lateral-line canal pores poorly developed, including 2 nasal, 2 lacrimal and 1 postorbital canal pores; posterodorsal portion of anguloarticular strongly expanded laterally with bifurcated process; gill membranes on each side united ventrally, attached to the isthmus; 4th gill arch without filaments; double type adhesive disc; flattened papillae on disc region A continuous across center; flattened papillae on disc region D arranged along disc edge and continuous with papillae on disc region A; center of anterior disc (= middle area between disc regions A and D) lacking papillae; small fleshy pad on lower part of pectoral-fin base; anterior part of dorsal-fin base lacking a swollen fleshy appearance; general fresh coloration, including brownish-green body, dark brown strip extending from snout tip to posteroventral part of head through eye, and whitish part on lateroventral surface of head (bordered by dark brown strip). In particular, the anguloarticular feature of Lissonanchus is likely unique within the Gobiesocidae and is regarded as a putative autapomorphy for the genus. In contrast, the two species could be distinguished from each other by species-level differences, including counts of pectoral-fin rays, number of teeth on pharyngobranchial 3, jaw lengths, and streak patterns on the body. Accordingly, Lissonanchus is now considered to include two valid species: L. lusherae (type species) and Lissonanchus hastingsi, new combination. Although Lissonanchus was previously included in the subfamily Diademichthyinae, the genus does not share any diagnostic features of that subfamily, and the subfamilial assignment of the genus remains equivocal, like other Indo-Pacific genera considered as incertae sedis within the Gobiesocidae (e.g., Aspasmogaster Waite 1907, Conidens Briggs 1955, and Creocele Briggs 1955). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obliquogobius trifasciatus sp. nov. (Teleostei: Gobiidae) is described on the basis of three specimens (29.5–30.5 mm in standard length) collected in the East China Sea, northwest of the Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan, in a depth of 115–124 m. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: 2nd dorsal and anal fins each with I, 9 rays; head moderate in size, its length 32.8–34.1% of standard length; lateral surface of nape scaled; postorbital pore G of cephalic sensory canal present; gill opening moderate in size, extending anteriorly to level with posterior margin of eye; pelvic fins united medially, with a well-developed connecting membrane (between innermost rays) and frenum (between spines); caudal fin dorsoventrally asymmetrical, lacking a distinct obliquely pointed tip, and with three lowermost branched rays much shorter than other branched rays; three broad black (dark brown in preserved specimens) bands, superposed by yellow chromatophores, on lateral surface of body, anteriormost band located under 1st dorsal-fin base, middle band just behind a vertical line through posterior end of 2nd dorsal-fin base, and posteriormost band on caudal-fin base; a small faint, yellow-tinged dusky blotch on center of caudal peduncle (between middle and posteriormost bands on body); a large black blotch, covering almost entirety of 1st dorsal fin; 2nd dorsal and caudal fins generally pale yellow, without a barred pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acanthoplesiops hardyi sp. nov. (Plesiopidae: Acanthoclininae) is described on the basis of a single specimen (13.7 mm in standard length) collected off the Kerama Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan, from a depth of 53 m. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays XXI, 3; anal-fin rays IX, 3; pectoral-fin rays 16; dentary pores 3; 2 pterygiophores between 2nd and 3rd neural spines; pelvic fins completely separated; last dorsal- and anal-fin rays barely connected to caudal-fin base by membrane; anterior half (approx.) of abdomen naked; body scales bilobed on mid-lateral surface, elsewhere oval with a rounded posterior margin; lateral surface of head and body uniformly dark brown, without dots, stripes, or bar-like patterns; pectoral-fin base and caudal peduncle lacking white blotches and bars, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egglestonichthys fulmen sp. nov. (Teleostei: Gobiidae) is described on the basis of a single specimen (21.7 mm in standard length) collected from 250 m depth off Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: anal-fin rays I, 9; pectoral-fin rays 17, lower rays not free from membrane; longitudinal scale series 25; transverse scales 8; pre-dorsalfin scale rows 8; cheek and opercle naked; pelvic frenum absent; caudal fin lanceolate, its length 32.2% of SL; interorbital width very narrow, 1.2% of HL (much narrower than pupil diameter); no spicules or odontoid processes on outer surface of gill arches; and body whitish, upper half with broken zigzag pattern of bright yellow patches and associated scattered black melanophores in fresh specimens (melanophores retained in preserved specimens). Several characters, including pectoral-fin ray count, interorbital width, and coloration uniquely distinguish the new species from congeners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lepadichthys lineatus complex (Gobiesocidae: Diademichthyinae) is defined by three unique characters within Lepadichthys: (a) upper‐jaw lip fused with snout skin, usually lacking a distinct groove between the dorsal lip margin and snout (if present, very weak, restricted to posterior portion of jaw); (b) snout tip well extended, distinctly beyond lower‐jaw tip; and (c) inner surface of both lips with oral papillae. A taxonomic review of the complex recognized four valid species: Lepadichthys geminus sp. nov. (southern Japan and Indonesia), Lepadichthys heemstraorum sp. nov. (southwestern Indian Ocean), Lepadichthys polyastrous sp. nov. (southwestern Indian Ocean) and L. lineatus Briggs, 1966 (Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Seychelles and Sri Lanka). L. geminus and L. lineatus are distinct from L. heemstraorum and L. polyastrous in having a circular (vs. elliptical) disc and more posteriorly located anus [L. geminus and L. lineatus with disc length and width 15.0–18.7 (mean 16.9) and 12.9–16.5 (14.6) % LS, respectively, and length to width ratio 1.03–1.25 cf. L. heemstraorum and L. polyastrous, 17.0–21.5 (18.9) and 11.6–15.2 (13.0) % LS, respectively, and 1.26–1.61; pre‐anus length and disc to anus length 65.1–73.6 (68.7) and 25.7–31.6 (28.6) % LS, respectively vs. 60.2–68.3 (65.3) and 21.6–28.9 (25.5) % LS, respectively]. Body depth (as % of LS) is also useful to distinguish L. geminus and L. polyastrous from L. heemstraorum and L. lineatus [viz., 12.7–16.1 (14.4) in L. geminus and 10.8–14.9 (13.1) in L. polyastrous vs. 15.0–17.1 (15.9) in L. heemstraorum and 14.6–18.9 (16.8) in L. lineatus]. L. geminus differs distinctly from other species in the complex as follows: snout tip directed upward, usually on same horizontal level with lower margin of eye lens (lateral view) (vs. directed somewhat downward, horizontal level usually between lower margins of eye and eye lens in L. heemstraorum and L. lineatus, lower margin of eye in L. polyastrous); and lower abdomen with two yellow stripes (vs. a single stripe along ventral midline in L. polyastrous and L. lineatus, unknown in L. heemstraorum). L. polyastrous has unique patterns of yellow dots on the dorsal and ventral body surfaces, forming c. six to eight and three to five longitudinal rows, respectively [vs. usually forming c. three to five longitudinal rows and a single broken line, respectively, in L. geminus and L. lineatus; yellow dots usually absent in L. heemstraorum]. A poorly known species, Lepadichthys caritus Briggs, 1969, is regarded as a junior synonym of L. lineatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lepadichthys conwayi, new species, is described on the basis of 42 specimens (13.0–42.0 mm in standard length [SL]) collected from the central South Pacific and characterized by the following combination of characters: head sensory canal pores well developed, including 2 nasal, lacrimal and postorbital, and 3 preopercular pores; 13–16 (modally 15, rarely 16) dorsal-fin rays; 11–14 (12, rarely 14) anal-fin rays; 27–30 (28) pectoral-fin rays; 8 or 9 (9), 8–11 (9), and 8–11 (9) gill rakers on first to third arches, respectively; upper end of gill membrane level with base of 7th to 10th (usually 9th) pectoral-fin ray in lateral view; disc length and width 15.0–17.1 (mean 16.0) and 11.1–16.1 (13.9) % SL, respectively, disc length plus disc width 27.8–33.2 (30.0) % SL; dorsal and anal fins with very weak membranous connections to (rarely separated from) caudal fin, posteriormost points of membranes usually just short of or just reaching vertical through caudal-fin base, otherwise very slightly beyond fin base; dorsal- and anal-caudal membrane lengths 3.4–7.1 (4.8) and 3.0–6.0 (4.8) % of caudal-fin length, respectively; black stripe on snout tip through eye to posterior region of head. In addition, examination of the type specimens of Lepadichthys springeriBriggs, 2001 revealed them to be conspecific with L. misakius (Tanaka, 1908), a valid species recently resurrected from the synonymy of L. frenatus Waite, 1904. Accordingly, L. springeri is regarded as a junior synonym of L. misakius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examination of the syntypes of Lepadogaster minimus Döderlein in Steindachner and Döderlein 1887 showed that species to be identical with Kopua japonica Moore, Hutchins and Okamoto 2012, although long been regarded as a valid species of Aspasma. A lectotype is designated for L. minimus (= Kopua minima), which is regarded as a senior synonym of K. japonica. A species commonly regarded as Aspasma minima is described as the new species Aspasma ubauo sp. nov., on the basis of 58 specimens from the Japanese mainland, and characterized by the following characters: 5–7 dorsal-fin rays; 6–8 anal-fin rays; 19–22 pectoral-fin rays; 4–6 gill rakers on each arch; head small, moderately depressed (dorsal profile flattened), its length 25.2–34.4% SL; mouth terminal; snout slightly pointed in lateral view; no subopercular spines; dorsal and anal fins well separated from caudal fin; single row (except anteriorly on premaxilla) of rectangular incisors in each jaw, lacking posteriorly hooked tips; large circular gap absent between anterior parts of premaxilla in dorsal view; disc size moderate, its length 15.8–20.6% SL; disc region D and anterior central portion of disc region A without flattened papillae; head sensory canal pores well developed, including 2 nasal, lacrimal and postorbital, and 3 preopercular pores; body without elongated spots or stripes. Morphological changes with growth and sexual dimorphism of the new species are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]