THE ELEOTRID FISHES OF LAKE KUTUBU, PAPUA NEW GUINEA WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF FOUR NEW SPECIES

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 10 years ago

Abstract
The eleotrid fishes of Lake Kutubu in the Southern Highlands district of Papua New Guinea are reviewed. Six species, including Mogumda variegata Nichols, Oxyeleotris fimbriata (Weber), and four new species of Mogumda described herein, were collected by the senior author during a visit to the lake in 1983. Mogumda kutubuensis sp. novo is related to a close knit complex of species restricted to New Guinea and northern Australia. It differs from the members of this group by a combination of features which include coloration and counts for fin rays and scales. The three remaining new species, M. furva, M. spilota, and M. vitta are allied to M. variegata. They differ from each other primarily with regards to their distinctive colour patterns and from other species of Mogumda by having a more elongate snout which except for M. vitta has a distinctive concave profile. All species except Oxyeleotris fimbriata are apparently endemic to Lake Kutubu. Diagnoses, descriptions and illustrations are provided for both new taxa and previously described species.