Blood-stained Fairy Wrasse

description

Comparisons and phylogenetic interpretation. Tea & Gill (2017) commented on the putative relationships for a set of Cirrhilabrus species. These were Cirrhilabrus jordani Snyder (1904), C. blatteus Springer & Randall (1974), C. roseafascia Randall & Lubbock (1982), C. rubrisquamis Randall & Emery (1983), C. sanguineus Cornic (1987), C. lanceolatus Randall & Masuda (1991), C. claire Randall & Pyle (2001), C. earlei Randall & Pyle (2001) and C. shutmani Tea & Gill (2017), herein referred to as the C. jordani complex. The species in this complex were hypothesised to be closely related based on the following combination of characters as defined by Tea & Gill (2017): relatively short pelvic fins (not or barely reaching anal-fin origin, except for C. claire with relatively long pelvic fins); a pair of stripes on head (in both sexes; strongly evident during nuptial display); and, dorsal and anal fins without obvious stripes or spots. Colour photographs of all nine species are provided in Tea & Gill (2017). Members of the Cirrhilabrus jordani species complex preferentially inhabit deeper waters, at depths between 40 – 90 m. These species are often strikingly coloured, with several possessin

Redescription and phylogenetic placement of Cirrhilabrus sanguineus Cornic (Teleostei: Labridae), with first documentation of the female form

description

Description. Dorsal-fin rays XI, 9; anal-fin rays III, 9; dorsal and anal-fin soft rays branched except first ray unbranched; last dorsal and anal-fin ray branched to base; pectoral-fin rays 14 – 15 (14 / 14) (female specimen damaged on right side), upper two unbranched; pelvic-fin rays I, 5; principal caudal-fin rays 7 + 6, uppermost and lowermost unbranched; upper procurrent caudal-fin rays 6, lower procurrent caudal-fin rays 6; lateral line interrupted, with dorsoanterior series of pored scales 16 – 18 (17 / 18) and midlateral posterior peduncular series 6 – 8 (7 / 7); scales above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 2; scales below lateral line to origin of anal fin 6; median predorsal scales 4 – 5 (5); median prepelvic scales 6; rows of scales on cheek 2; circumpeduncular scales 14; gill rakers 6 – 7 (6) + 9 – 12 (11) = 15 – 19 (17); pseudobranchial filaments 11; vertebrae 9 + 16; epineurals 13. Body moderately elongate and compressed, depth 3.2 – 3.5 (3.3) in SL, width 2.1 – 2.3 (2.2) in depth; head length 3.0 – 3.2 (3.0) in SL; snout pointed, its length 3.8 – 4.1 (3.8) in HL; orbit diameter 2.8 – 4.1 (4.1) in HL; depth of caudal peduncle 2.1 – 2.2 (2.2) in HL. Mouth small,

Redescription and phylogenetic placement of Cirrhilabrus sanguineus Cornic (Teleostei: Labridae), with first documentation of the female form

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Cirrhilabrus sanguineus shares similar meristic counts to other species in its complex, but is easily diagnosed by having a lanceolate caudal fin in males, and in the following live colouration details: head reddish orange to orange; body pale pink with two diffused oblique bands, the edges often dusky and not strongly delimited, the anterior most band greenish grey, the distal band yellow; anterior two-thirds of body with a broad, oblique, irregularly shaped magenta band.

Redescription and phylogenetic placement of Cirrhilabrus sanguineus Cornic (Teleostei: Labridae), with first documentation of the female form

distribution

Distribution and habitat. Cirrhilabrus sanguineus is known only from the island of Mauritius in the western Indian Ocean (Figure 8). Randall (1995) reported that the neotype (BPBM 24779; Figures 1 & 4) and additional specimens (BPBM 22542 [Figure 4]; NSMT-P 34975) examined were collected from Flic en Flac, off the western coast of Mauritius, at depths of 42 – 52 m. The new specimens examined in this study (ZRC 60168; Figure 7) was collected off Cannoniers Point, off the northern coast of Mauritius, at depths of 70 – 90 m. Given that Mauritius is a small island, it is likely that the species also occurs throughout the island and elsewhere in the Mascarene Archipelago, particularly at Réunion. The species inhabits low relief rubble slopes with little to no structure. ... Continued on next page

Redescription and phylogenetic placement of Cirrhilabrus sanguineus Cornic (Teleostei: Labridae), with first documentation of the female form