Vanikoro sweeper

description

Figs 15, 16, Suppl. material 2 Standard Japanese name: Kibire-hatampo

A review of the genus Pempheris (Teleostei, Pempheridae) found in Japan and Taiwan

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Counts of holotype and non-types are given in Table 2 of Koeda et al. (2010 b). Dorsal-fin rays VI, 9; anal-fin rays III, 38 – 43; pectoral-fin rays 17 – 19; pored lateral-line scales 56 – 65; scale rows above lateral line 5 ½ – 6 ½, usually 5 ½; scale rows below lateral line 12 – 15; predorsal scales 30 – 35; circumpeduncular scales 16 – 18; gill rakers 8 + 19 – 21 = 27 – 29; head length 29.1 – 31.7 %; body depth 42.4 – 46.3 %; eye diameter 37.5 – 42.9 %; upper jaw length 48.9 – 55.3 %; maximum 156 mm SL; snout rounded; scales weakly ctenoid, deciduous, thin, semicircular in shape, far wider than long (Koeda et al. 2013 a: see fig. 2 a); body silverish to copperish in fresh specimen collected in day time, but silver in night time; tip of dorsal fin distinctly blackish; usually distinct blackish band on outer edge of anal fin; pectoral fin bright yellow (disappear in fixed specimens) with lacking blackish blotch on its base; posterior margin of caudal fin blackish; narrow band of villiform teeth in jaws; abdomen cross-sectional outline V-shaped.

A review of the genus Pempheris (Teleostei, Pempheridae) found in Japan and Taiwan

distribution

Distribution. Widely distributed in the western Pacific Ocean except for small islands and atolls in central Pacific. In Japanese waters, this species is known from Iriomote-jima and Yonaguni-jima islands in the southern Ryukyu Archipelago. In Taiwanese waters, this species is known from Yeh Liu and Wang-li in New Taipei City, and Hengchung and Kenting in Pingtung County (Fig. 15). Specimens were collected from 0 – 2 m depth in Japan but are known from deeper (ca 20 m) in other areas. KK observed a small school of this species at Kuchinoerabu-jima Island (24 Aug. 2016).

A review of the genus Pempheris (Teleostei, Pempheridae) found in Japan and Taiwan

discussion

Remark. As the genus Pempheris is currently being revised by John E. Randall and collaborators, the classification of this species is provisional and may change at a later stage.

Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records