Glassperch, Gymnochanda,
are small Perciforme Fish (seldom more than 30 mm) found in still pools close to
swamp forest and riverine ecosystems on Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsula Malaysia and
Belitung Island. They are scaleless and transparent and show high levels of
sexual dimorphism, with the females tending to be inconspicuous but the males
having elongated fin rays and bright fin colouration.
In a paper published in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology on TanHeok Hui and Kelvin Lim Kok Peng of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
and the Faculty of Science at the National University of Singapore describe a
new species of Glassperch from West Kalimantan State (Indonesia) on Borneo.
The new species is named Gymnochanda ploegi,
in honour of the late Alex Ploeg, former Secretary General of the Ornamental Fish International, who perished on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was
shot down over Ukraine on 17 July 2014, for his work as a taxonomist and
conservationist, particularly in the field of alien aquatic species, and his
services to the ornamental fish trade. The species is described from 32
specimens gathered by local collectors for the ornamental fish trade,
apparently the first time this fish has been collected.
Gymnochanda ploegi, male specimen in lateral view. Tan & Lim (2014).
The specimens range from 23.9 to 27.5 mm in length. The males have
red and black pigmentation on their heads, particularly around the lips and
snout, and similar colouration on the fins and in dark bars on the bodies. The
females have similar colouration but with less black.
Gymnochanda ploegi, female specimen in lateral view. Tan & Lim (2014).
The specimens were collected from still pools in the Sanggau and
Kapuas Lakes regions in West Kalimantan. The area from which they were
collected was apparently remote, and took several hours trek to reach.
See also…
Gobies are small, benthic (bottom
dwelling) members of the Perch Order, found in marine and freshwater
environments around the world, but most numerous and diverse in the
Indo-Pacific region. There are...
Cavefish (Amblyopsidae) are a group of predominantly cave-dwelling
Perciform Fish from North America. Of the eight currently described
species three are found at the surface, predominantly around springs...
The Cichlid Fish genus Chalinochromis is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. To date two species have been formally described, Chalinochromis...
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