Striped form of Pseudochromis ammeri, Rajah Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Photo Gerald Allen

Pseudochromis ammeri and Pseudochromis eichleri are two new species of dottybacks which have just been described from the Philippines and Indonesia. Both Pseudochromis ammeri and P. eichleri are described as species of striped dottybacks, similar to each other in appearance as well as Pseudochromis colei, which is redescribed in the same paper. 

Pseudochromis ammeri is a dottyback species that is known from the Rajah Ampat Islands of West Papua Indonesia. At least two distinct color forms of Pseudochromis ammeri are discussed in its official description; one with strong striping and another form with very weak striping. Pseudochromis ammeri is said to be “essentially endemic to the Raja Ampat Islands, where it is the most common dottyback encountered.”

Weakly striped form of Pseudochromis ammeri, Rajah Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Photo Gerald Allen

Pseudochromis eichleri sports a similar color palette as P. ammeri but the horizontal dorsal stripe does not extend the entire length of the body. Furthermore, Pseudochromis eichleri is described from the Philippines, where sightings of this species were previously attributed to Pseudochromis colei. The three striped species of Pseudochromis are described by Anthony Gill, Gerald Allen and Mark Erdmann in the January 2012 volume of Zootaxa.

Pseudochromis eichleri, Palawan, Philippines. Photo Gerald Allen