Citron Mudgoby

This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: D VI+I,9-10 (usually 9), with second dorsal-fin spine forming an elongate filament extending to between base of fourth and last segmented dorsal-fin ray when adpressed; A I,8–9 (usually 9); pectoral-fin rays 18; relatively broad interorbital (75-91% pupil diameter); 10-12 papillae in posterior transverse interorbital row; the upper part of opercle with about 10-12 scales arranged in 3 or 4 transverse rows; pelvic without frenum. Colour when fresh is generally yellow (including iris, except opercle, upper part of cheek, and areaimmediately behind eye sometimes pinkish); head, body, and fins covered with numerous pepper-like melanophores, most prominent on side of body; fins yellow, except pelvic fins translucent; second dorsal fin, caudal fin, and anal fin with blue margin, widest on anal fin; dorsal fins with narrow blue stripe at base, second dorsal fin also with longitudinal row of blue spots just above stripe; filamentous extension of second dorsal-fin spine blue (Ref. 118649).

Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 10; Analsoft rays: 8 - 9; Vertebrae: 26

Specimens were collected using rotenone in a sheltered bay on a mainly flat mud bottom in 30 m depth. Seldom collected due to its small size and predilection for seldom-dived, mud-bottom habitat. It is likely to live in the burrows of larger mud-dwelling fishes such as jawfish or Oxymetopon ribbongobies (for P. aithiops found at the type locality also shelters in the burrows of Oxymetopon compressus) (Ref. 118649).