| Leiognathidae (Slimys, slipmouths, or ponyfishes), subfamily: Gazzinae |
| 10.94 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
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demersal; marine |
| Indian Ocean: South Africa to Mozambique. Known range extends from eastern coast of Africa (from east coast of South Africa and northward to coastal waters of Mozambique), throughout coastal Madagascar, and to the Mascarene islands. |
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Together, the new species, S. indicius, and S. insidiator are readily distinguished from all congeners except S. hanedai by a more elongate (depth 40.5–57.7% SL) and essentially oval-shaped body (vs. deep and diskshaped in S. ruconius and S. interruptus [depth 53.4–65.5% SL], and S. megalolepis [depth 58.6–62.6% SL]). The new species is distinguished from S. hanedai by the presence of scales on the chest (vs. chest asquamate), and from S. indicius by an overall deeper (depth 47.3–57.7% SL), hatchet-shaped body (vs. body oval, depth 40.5–48.3% SL in S. indicius), and by pigmentation pattern on the dorsal flank comprising eight to eleven well-defined columns of irregular small spots and blotches (vs. 14 to 17 thin columns of spots or vertical lines in S. indicius). The new species is distinguished from S. insidiator by an overall more hatchet-shaped body (vs. body oval and evenly rounded ventrally in S. insidiator), dorsal pigmentation pattern as described above (vs. larger, irregular blotches inpoorly defined columns in S. insidiator), a strongly upturned mouth and compressed pug-like snout, and dorsal-fin insertion well posterior of vertical through pectoral-fin base (vs. about level of pectoral-fin base in S insidiator) (Ref. 87758). |
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Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
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| harmless |
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