New species of pipefish (Syngnathidae) from the South China Sea

Abstract

A new species, Festucalex armillatus sp. n., is described from the littoral zone of Hainan Island (China). The species differs from other species of the genus in a combination of the following characters: trunk rings 16–17 + 31–32, two prepectoral ridges present, lateral trunk ridge terminated on the third or fourth caudal ring, snout comparatively short and very deep, and a characteristic pattern composed of four wide dark bands on the head and numerous narrow transversal dark bands on a light background of the trunk.