Debra Baker
Info
Specimens of Ecsenius niue were collected in 1998 at Beveridge Reef (here the holotype) and at Alophi Wharf, Opaahi, Niue (paratypes) by Clive Roberts and Terry Coe and described in 2002 by Dr. Victor Gruschka Springer of the Smithsonian Institution based on the collec
ted specimens.
For this reason, no photos of living specimens are included in the original description.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Debra Baker for posting two photos of living slime fish on iNaturalist under CC BY 4.0!
Beveridge Reef is a largely submerged, ring-shaped coral reef (atoll) located about 225 kilometers southeast of Niue and west of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The distance from the Cook Islands to Beveridge Reef is over 850 kilometers, and from Tonga to Beveridge Reef it is over 600 kilometers.
Slat occurs in coral reefs with living corals.
In most species of the genus Ecsenius, juveniles and adults are almost exclusively restricted to intertidal/subtidal habitats with living corals.
Little information is available on the reproductive habits and early life stages of species in this genus.
Similar species:
The diffuse extension of the rear pair of spots onto the caudal fin of Ecsenius niue is similar to that of Ecsenius tigris.
However, Ecsenius tigris has three or four conspicuous dark spots on the underside of the body below the dorsal body contour below the spiny dorsal fin. These spots are absent in both Ecsenius niue and Ecsenius fijiensis.
Dr. Victor believes that the color pattern of Ecsenius niue is most similar to that of Ecsenius fijiensis.
Ecsenius niue differs from the superficially similar Ecsenius tigris (Queensland Plateau Islands) by the absence of the three or four dark spots on the body ventral to those on the dorsal body contour below the spiny dorsal fin.
Etymology.
The species name “niue” was named after Niue, as the species is thought to be endemic to the island of Niue.
ted specimens.
For this reason, no photos of living specimens are included in the original description.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Debra Baker for posting two photos of living slime fish on iNaturalist under CC BY 4.0!
Beveridge Reef is a largely submerged, ring-shaped coral reef (atoll) located about 225 kilometers southeast of Niue and west of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The distance from the Cook Islands to Beveridge Reef is over 850 kilometers, and from Tonga to Beveridge Reef it is over 600 kilometers.
Slat occurs in coral reefs with living corals.
In most species of the genus Ecsenius, juveniles and adults are almost exclusively restricted to intertidal/subtidal habitats with living corals.
Little information is available on the reproductive habits and early life stages of species in this genus.
Similar species:
The diffuse extension of the rear pair of spots onto the caudal fin of Ecsenius niue is similar to that of Ecsenius tigris.
However, Ecsenius tigris has three or four conspicuous dark spots on the underside of the body below the dorsal body contour below the spiny dorsal fin. These spots are absent in both Ecsenius niue and Ecsenius fijiensis.
Dr. Victor believes that the color pattern of Ecsenius niue is most similar to that of Ecsenius fijiensis.
Ecsenius niue differs from the superficially similar Ecsenius tigris (Queensland Plateau Islands) by the absence of the three or four dark spots on the body ventral to those on the dorsal body contour below the spiny dorsal fin.
Etymology.
The species name “niue” was named after Niue, as the species is thought to be endemic to the island of Niue.
