In Volume 46 of the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, researchers David Greenfield, Mark Erdmann, and Nesha Ichida have described a new species, Eviota niedenthali. Given the common name of Bikini Colon Dwarfgoby, E. niedenthali‘s species epithet honors Jack Niedenthal, “a long-term champion for the people of Bikini, former Minister of Health for the Marshall Islands, and guide for our recent expedition to Bikini. It is a pleasure to name this distinctive species in his honor,” write the authors.
At the moment, the known range of Eviota nidenthali is extremely restricted. The authors report that “The new species was encountered at only one of 14 sites sampled at Bikini Atoll, reflecting the unique nature of this lagoonal site, which was exposed to minimal wave energy and only minimal currents. Specimens were observed resting on the tops of large patches of calcareous Halimeda algae, into which they would quickly dive when approached. These Halimeda patches were found in 10–12m depth along a generally flat sandy lagoon floor, approximately 300 m offshore of the island of Bikini. The species is presently known only from the Bikini Atoll lagoon, but it likely occurs in similar habitats in the lagoons of other atolls in the Marshall Islands and perhaps farther afield.”
The discovery and species description of the Bikini Colon Dwarfgoby brings the number of formally described members of the genus Eviota to 139. The researchers note that historically, these small gobies were overlooked in fish surveys due to their small size, yet they are generally abundant on many coral reefs. The researchers remarked that “Targeted searches for Eviota species have resulted in the discovery of a number of undescribed species in recent years.”
The question is, how many more new species of Eviota are waiting to be found and described?
You can read the exciting and detailed story of Bikini Atoll’s newest species in the full, open-access story, Eviota niedenthali, a new dwarfgoby from Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands (Teleostei: Gobiidae).
Reference
Citation: Greenfield D.W., Erdmann, M.V. & Ichida, N.K. (2026) Eviota niedenthali, a new dwarfgoby from Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 46, 9–14.
doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20299414
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F49B4A5C-05F3-429C-89D4-4DF3FEA8B651
