Gobiodon prolixus, a new species of gobiid fish (Teleostei: Perciformes: Gobiidae) from the Indo-west Pacific

A new species of coral-dwelling gobiid, Gobiodon prolixus, is described on the basis of material from scattered localities in the Indo-west Pacific (Comores, Rodrigues, Chagos, Thailand, Vietnam, Ponape, Tonga, Rapa, and Tuamotu). Gobiodon prolixus is distinguished from congeners by its unique, more elongate body shape in combination with five narrow blue bars on the lateral surfaces of the head. That pigmentation pattern is otherwise found in G. quinquestrigatus and G. rivulatus, species with which the new species has been confused in the past.