Common Name
Dagmar's Dragonet
Year Described
Fricke, 1985
Identification
Dorsal Fin: IV; 8
Anal Fin: 7
Pectoral Fin: 18-21 (2 simple)
Pelvic: I, 5
Caudal Fin: 7 branched + 1 upper and 2 lower simple rays
Vertebrae: 714
Body elongate and depressed, especially on the head. Pre-dorsal length 30-35%% SL. Body tapering to tail. Eye quite large, close together, and dorsally placed. Mouth protrusible, small (just short of anterior orbit) and subterminal. Teeth only in jaws and not palatine or vomer. Head length a quarter of standard length. Gill opening small and oval. Preopercular spine with two strong spines at tip but none at base. Two dorsal fins: one spiny and one soft. First spine of D1 only slightly elongated in both sexes (filament less than fin length). D2 about as high as non-filamentous part of D1 and slightly concave. D2 consists of branched rays. Anal fin about as long as D2 with strong notches in the membrane margin. Anal fin consists of simple rays except for the final one which is branched. Pectoral fin large and fanlike. Pelvic fin expanded and broad with only a tiny membrane connecting it to pectoral fin base. Caudal fin in males with middle 2-3 rays greatly lengthened (females not greatly modified but with a pronounced lower lobe or short extensions). Lateral line single. Scaleless.
Color
Body pale reddish grading to white on the belly. Several scrawled yellow stripes on body and yellow spots/speckles on the dorsum and head. Dorsal fin pale with yellow spots and/or bands. First dorsal fin with a large black spot between last two rays. Caudal fin pale with yellow spots and a reddish streak along axis of longest rays. Pelvic fin reddish with yellow spots. Anal fin with a broad black band in females but absent in males.
Size
Maximum size to 102mm SL. Common from 67-100mm SL.
Habitat
Continental and insular slopes from 90-640m. Found resting on the bottom.
Range
Southern Caribbean coast from Venezuela to French Guiana.
References
Lasso-Alcala, O., Lasso, C.A., & J.C. Capelo. 2005. Nuevos registros, confirmaciones y ampliaciones de distribución de la ictiofauna marina de Venezuela, Parte I. Mem. Fund. La Salle Cien. Nat., (161-162), 167-199.
Nakabo, T., & K.E. Hartel. 1999. Foetorepus goodenbeani: a new species of dragonet (Teleostei: Callionymidae) from the western North Atlantic Ocean. Copeia, 114-121.
Other Notes
Widely separated in geographic range from the related Foetorepus goodenbeani which occurs off the U.S.A. but can be separated by pre-dorsal length and by coloration.