Westernmost mediterranean records of three gobiid species (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Gobiidae)

Abstract

Information on the distribution of small benthic fish such as gobies is sometimes scattered or incomplete. This is probably due to the sampling difficulties involved in the study of these small fishes at depths below those accessible for SCUBA diving techniques. These are the cases of Buenia massutii Kovačić, Ordines et Schliewen, 2017 (recently described and currently only known from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean), the locality where it was described); Vanneaugobius dollfusi Brownell, 1978 (only known from the Adriatic and Aegean seas in the Mediterranean, and from Agadir, the locality of the species’ description in the Atlantic coast of Morocco); and Odondebuenia balearica (Pellegrin et Fage, 1907) (which in the western Mediterranean is only known from scattered localities). The aim of the presently reported study was to improve and significantly extend the information on the distribution of these three species. New records of these gobiids are herewith reported from the western Mediterranean. The new material has been deposited in the Natural History Museum of Rijeka. Buenia massutii is reported from various locations in the Alboran Sea, O. balearica is reported from the Gulf of Valencia, and V. dollfusi from the Balearic Islands. The three reported records are the westernmost Mediterranean records of these species. Moreover, V. dollfusi is reported for the first time from the western Mediterranean basin, whereas B. massutii is reported for the first time elsewhere from its description locality. The number of individuals of V. dollfusi collected from the Balearic Islands points out this is a common and abundant species in the circalittoral bottoms of this area. On the other hand, the different localities from where B. massutii is reported, two localities in the Iberian Peninsula coast and also the Alboran Island, point out this species may be widely distributed, at least in the western Mediterranean.