Dapalis pauciserratus, Ahnelt & Bradić-Milinović & Schwarzhans, 2024

Dapalis pauciserratus nov. spec. ( Figs 3-5 View Figure 3 View Figure 4 View Figure 5 )

Holotype. Register number GZS-RA1, 38.8 mm SL; Raljin, Babušnica Basin, Serbia; leg. Žarko Petrović.

Paratype. Register number GZS-RA5, 26.6 mm length of fish (last 3 vertebra and caudal fin missing); Raljin, Babušnica Basin, Serbia; leg. Žarko Petrović.

Etymology

The new species is named pauciserratus (Latin: having few serrations) with reference to the preopercle, which has distinctly fewer serrations than the preopercle of the other congenerics.

Diagnosis

An ambassid fish of small size ( 42 mm SL); 24 (10 + 14) vertebrae; first dorsal fin with seven spines; first spine much shorter than the second; second dorsal fin with a single spine and nine rays; anal fin with three spines, each supported by a pterygiophore; spines with compartmentalized internal structure; pterygiophore of second spine very long and in close contact with the haemal spine of the first caudal vertebra; first spine of first dorsal fin (42.6% in length of second dorsal spine) and of anal fin (69.8% in length of second anal fin spine respectively) relatively long; body shape elongate, slender with a narrow head (23.9 % of SL) and body (24.1% in SL); orbit large (36.2 % of head length); mouth terminal, slightly oblique in position; few serrations on head, only present on corner of preopercle; otolith length to height = 1.3.

Description

Counts and measurements are reported in Table II and Table III.

The skeletons of both specimens are incompletely preserved. The bones of the head are only partly discernible ( Figs 3-4 View Figure 3 View Figure 4 ).