François Libert, Frankreich
Info
In May 2026, two new species of Valenciennea gobies from the Indian Ocean were first described: Valenciennea zaboae and Valenciennea schlieweni.
This goby inhabits areas near caves on sandy substrates with scattered live corals along reef crests in various parts of the Indian Ocean.
The coloration of living specimens from the western Indian Ocean (South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Comoros, Seychelles, Madagascar, Réunion, Maldives) is based on 15 high-resolution photos of living and fresh specimens from iNaturalist, GBIF, SAIAB, and the scientific literature:
The upper half of the head and body are pearly light gray; the lower half is pearly whitish.
The front of the head, jaw, preoperculum, operculum, and pectoral fin base are variably bright chrome yellow.
A striking, dark-edged, iridescent blue stripe runs from the center of the upper lip to below the eyes, across the preoperculum to the upper operculum.
A light blue, dark-edged stripe runs diagonally across the lower preoperculum, from the lower center to the upper edge of the preoperculum, roughly along the posterior margin; a similar stripe runs across the lower half of the operculum.
Usually, 1–2 blue spots are visible between the stripes behind the preopercular margin, as well as a dark-edged blue spot that is usually present behind the eye.
Sometimes smaller blue spots can be seen along the sides of the neck.
One blue spot is located above and one below the base of the pectoral fin, usually connected by a blue stripe.
Three to four rows of blue spots are visible behind the base of the pectoral fin:
The lower row consists of 3–4 large oval/round spots, becoming smaller toward the rear; the second row consists of 2–3 smaller oval/round spots.
In the third row, usually absent, or only a small round spot; the upper row runs parallel to the head stripe and consists of 3–5 (usually 4) horizontally elongated small oval spots (absent in Valenciennea strigata).
Unlike Valenciennea strigata, there are no vertical light gray lines behind the base of the pectoral fins.
The first dorsal fin has pink spines; the membranes are light gray, with about 4 wavy pink basal lines visible.
The second dorsal fin is light gray with a narrow pink edge and 4–5 pink basal lines.
The anal fin is light pearl gray with a pink basal line and a faintly pink distal edge.
The pectoral fins are clear; the pelvic fins vary from clear to light gray or pearl white.
The caudal fin is light gray with two pink stripes; the upper stripe runs from the upper base of the tail over the upper rays, fading toward the rear.
The lower stripe extends from the lower base over the lower rays, fading before the posterior edge.
The head and body are light brown to dark brown, darker dorsally, lighter ventrally.
The head stripes are conspicuous in all specimens (dark to light brown).
The stripes and postorbital spots in specimens collected before 2000 are faded; in specimens collected since 2000, they are visible as light brown to dark gray.
The spots behind the pectoral fin base are usually visible as light brown to dark gray in specimens collected after 2000, less conspicuous than the head stripes, stripes, and spots.
The dorsal fins are usually clear, sometimes grayish, usually with darker horizontal basal lines.
The anal, pelvic, pectoral, and caudal fins are grayish.
Sexual dimorphism.
The urogenital papilla is pointed at the tip and, in males, is located in a depression behind the anal opening; in females, it is rounded, blunt, or bilobed and protrudes slightly.
Males have longer fin rays, particularly the first three spines of the first dorsal fin.
The blue spots behind the pectoral fins are not sex-specific; underwater photographs of pairs from Mozambique and Réunion show that these spots are present in both sexes.
Etymology:
The species was named in honor of Ms. Nokuzola (Noxie) Zabo, who joined the NrF-SAIAB as a teenager and has played a crucial role for over three decades in maintaining a supportive and aesthetically pleasing work environment that has enabled productivity and academic achievement at the institute. Colleagues in such important roles often remain in the background.
With this honor, we wish to officially recognize and preserve Noxie’s contributions.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to François Libert for the first photo of Valenciennea zaboae , which he captured of the goby off the coast of Réunion in the Western Indian Ocean.
This goby inhabits areas near caves on sandy substrates with scattered live corals along reef crests in various parts of the Indian Ocean.
The coloration of living specimens from the western Indian Ocean (South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Comoros, Seychelles, Madagascar, Réunion, Maldives) is based on 15 high-resolution photos of living and fresh specimens from iNaturalist, GBIF, SAIAB, and the scientific literature:
The upper half of the head and body are pearly light gray; the lower half is pearly whitish.
The front of the head, jaw, preoperculum, operculum, and pectoral fin base are variably bright chrome yellow.
A striking, dark-edged, iridescent blue stripe runs from the center of the upper lip to below the eyes, across the preoperculum to the upper operculum.
A light blue, dark-edged stripe runs diagonally across the lower preoperculum, from the lower center to the upper edge of the preoperculum, roughly along the posterior margin; a similar stripe runs across the lower half of the operculum.
Usually, 1–2 blue spots are visible between the stripes behind the preopercular margin, as well as a dark-edged blue spot that is usually present behind the eye.
Sometimes smaller blue spots can be seen along the sides of the neck.
One blue spot is located above and one below the base of the pectoral fin, usually connected by a blue stripe.
Three to four rows of blue spots are visible behind the base of the pectoral fin:
The lower row consists of 3–4 large oval/round spots, becoming smaller toward the rear; the second row consists of 2–3 smaller oval/round spots.
In the third row, usually absent, or only a small round spot; the upper row runs parallel to the head stripe and consists of 3–5 (usually 4) horizontally elongated small oval spots (absent in Valenciennea strigata).
Unlike Valenciennea strigata, there are no vertical light gray lines behind the base of the pectoral fins.
The first dorsal fin has pink spines; the membranes are light gray, with about 4 wavy pink basal lines visible.
The second dorsal fin is light gray with a narrow pink edge and 4–5 pink basal lines.
The anal fin is light pearl gray with a pink basal line and a faintly pink distal edge.
The pectoral fins are clear; the pelvic fins vary from clear to light gray or pearl white.
The caudal fin is light gray with two pink stripes; the upper stripe runs from the upper base of the tail over the upper rays, fading toward the rear.
The lower stripe extends from the lower base over the lower rays, fading before the posterior edge.
The head and body are light brown to dark brown, darker dorsally, lighter ventrally.
The head stripes are conspicuous in all specimens (dark to light brown).
The stripes and postorbital spots in specimens collected before 2000 are faded; in specimens collected since 2000, they are visible as light brown to dark gray.
The spots behind the pectoral fin base are usually visible as light brown to dark gray in specimens collected after 2000, less conspicuous than the head stripes, stripes, and spots.
The dorsal fins are usually clear, sometimes grayish, usually with darker horizontal basal lines.
The anal, pelvic, pectoral, and caudal fins are grayish.
Sexual dimorphism.
The urogenital papilla is pointed at the tip and, in males, is located in a depression behind the anal opening; in females, it is rounded, blunt, or bilobed and protrudes slightly.
Males have longer fin rays, particularly the first three spines of the first dorsal fin.
The blue spots behind the pectoral fins are not sex-specific; underwater photographs of pairs from Mozambique and Réunion show that these spots are present in both sexes.
Etymology:
The species was named in honor of Ms. Nokuzola (Noxie) Zabo, who joined the NrF-SAIAB as a teenager and has played a crucial role for over three decades in maintaining a supportive and aesthetically pleasing work environment that has enabled productivity and academic achievement at the institute. Colleagues in such important roles often remain in the background.
With this honor, we wish to officially recognize and preserve Noxie’s contributions.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to François Libert for the first photo of Valenciennea zaboae , which he captured of the goby off the coast of Réunion in the Western Indian Ocean.
