Pearl-spotted fairy basslet

description

We add the following new observations for Australian specimens of S. analis: scales with basal cteni; vertebrae 10 + 16; supraneurals 3; predorsal formula 0 / 0 + 0 / 2 / 1 + 1 or 0 / 0 + 0 / 2 + 1 / 1; dorsal pterygiophores in interneural spaces 9 – 13 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 + 1 / 1 or 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 + 1 / 1 + 1; terminal dorsal pterygiophore in interneural space 18 – 19; 0 – 2 trisegmental pterygiophores associated with dorsal fin; 3 – 6 trisegmental pterygiophores associated with anal fin; terminal anal pterygiophore in interhaemal space 5 – 6; ribs present on vertebrae 3 through 10; epineurals present on vertebrae 1 through 12 – 13; parhypural and hypurals autogenous; well-developed hypurapophysis on parhypural; epurals 3; single uroneural (posterior uroneural absent); ventral tip of cleithrum with well-developed posteroventral process; proximal tip of first anal-fin pterygiophore near distal tips of parapophyses on vertebra 10. Morphometric data are summarised in Table 30.

Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species

diagnosis

Diagnosis. The following characters distinguish S. analis from congeners: dorsal fin with 16 – 19, usually 17 segmented dorsal-rays; lower gill rakers 19 – 23; males with large black blotch on soft part of anal fin.

Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species

discussion

Remarks. Selenanthias analis is a relatively large anthiadine (largest specimen 170 mm SL, Kamohara 1952) found from southern Japan, Taiwan, and possibly Vietnam and Guam (see below), as well as northwestern Australia. Within Australia, it is known from the North West Shelf and Arafura Sea (Figure 45). Our use of the name S. analis is tentative, pending more complete revisionary studies of the genus. In particular, the status of S. myersi is in need of review. Randall (1995) described the species on the basis of the 58.6 mm SL holotype from off Vietnam, two 77.1 – 87.0 mm SL paratypes from the Macclesfield Bank, South China Sea, and a 61.3 mm SL paratype from Guam, Mariana Islands. He compared it with four specimens of S. analis, 92.0 – 100.0 mm SL, and differentiated it on the basis of coloration (absence versus presence of a dark spot on the anal fin), number of lower gill rakers (22 versus 19 – 21) and bony interorbital width (4.3 – 4.5 versus 3.45 – 3.8 in HL). However, we note that dark spots are variably present or absent in our Australian specimens of S. analis (absent in five specimens, 41.0 – 90.0 mm SL, and present in 11 specimens 85.0 – 98.5 mm SL), bony interorbital wid

Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species

materials_examined

Material examined. Western Australia, Australia. AMS I. 22807 - 039, 4: 90.0 – 98.5 mm SL, 175 km north of Port Hedland, 18 ° 32 ′ S, 118 ° 17 ′ E, 200 - 204 m, Engel trawl, J. R. Paxton, RV Soela, 2 Apr 1982; CSIRO H 751 - 4, 94.1 mm SL, north of Dampier Archipelago, 19 ° 08.9 ′ S, 116 ° 52.6 ′ E to 19 ° 08.4 ′ S, 116 ° 54.1 ′ E, 196 – 198 m, Frank and Bryce demersal trawl, CSIRO, FRV Soela, 24 Oct 1986 (SO 0686 / 84); CSIRO H 1036 - 9, 90.0 mm SL, CSIRO H 1036 - 10, 93 mm SL (radiograph only), CSIRO H 1036 - 11, 96 mm SL (radiograph only), CSIRO H 1036 - 12, 3: 85 – 88 mm SL (radiographs only), north of Cape Lambert, 19 ° 06.1 ′ S, 117 ° 07.0 ′ E to 19 ° 06.5 ′ S, 117 ° 08.8 ′ E, 178 – 183 m, Frank and Bryce demersal trawl, CSIRO, FRV Soela, 12 Oct 1987 (SO 0787 / 129); CSIRO H 6374 - 15, 71.0 mm SL, northwest of Geraldton, from 27 ° 55.72 ′ S, 113 ° 08.28 ′ E to 27 ° 56.02 ′ S, 113 ° 08.64 ′ E, 252 - 253 m, beam trawl, CSIRO, FRV Southern Surveyor, 4 Dec 2005 (field station number SS 1005 / 99); CSIRO H 6378 - 18, 41 mm SL (radiograph only), west of Exmouth Gulf, 21 ° 59.17 ′ S, 113 ° 49.20 ′ E to 21 ° 59.79 ′ S, 113 ° 49.14 ′ E, 165 – 166 m, beam trawl, CSIRO, FRV Southern Surv

Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species