Three new species of Oxyurichthys (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the Indian and Pacific oceans

Three new species of Oxyurichthys are described: O. heisei from Hawaii, O. paulae from southwestern India, and O. takagi from Belau (Palau). Oxyurichthys heisei is a deepwater species that differs from the only other Oxyurichthys species in Hawaii, O. lonchotus, a shallow water species, in pigmentation pattern, number of pectoral-fin rays, eye size, and body width. Oxyurichthys paulae is a member of the Oxyurichthys group possessing ocular cirri. It is most similar to O. tentacularis but has a higher number of pectoral-fin rays and differs in pigmentation. Oxyurichthys takagi has cycloid scales over the entire trunk. The only other species that exhibits this condition (variably) is O. microlepis. Oxyurichthys takagi lacks the dark spot on the upper cornea and dark spots on dorsal scales characteristic of O. microlepis.