Fleckfin Dottyback

biology_ecology

It has been collected from a variety of rock and coral reef habitats, including surge channels, reef slopes and dropoffs, at depths ranging from 15 to 45 m (with some collections perhaps as shallow as 1 m, and others perhaps as deep as 60 m).

Pseudoplesiops wassi, a new species of dottyback fish (Teleostei: Pseudochromidae: Pseudoplesiopinae) from the West Pacific.

description

Description (based on 34 specimens, 17.7 - 28.8 mm SL). Dorsal-fin rays I, 27 - 29 (I, 28), last 4 - 9 (6) segmented rays branched; anal-fin rays I - II, 16 - 18 (I, 17), last 3 - 8 (3) segmented rays branched; pectoral-fin rays 16 - 18 (17 / 17), upper 2 - 4 (3 / 3) and lower 1 - 4 (2 / 2) rays unbranched; pelvic-fin rays I, 3, all segmented rays simple; principal caudal-fin rays 9 + 8, the uppermost 1 - 2 (1) and lowermost 1 - 2 (1) rays unbranched; upper procurrent caudal-fin rays 3 - 4 (4); lower procurrent caudal-fin rays 3 - 4 (3); total caudal-fin rays 23 - 25 (24); scales in lateral series 32 - 39 (34 / 34); predorsal scales 6 - 9 (6); transverse scales 12 - 14 (12 / 12); scales behind eye 1 - 3 (2); scales to preopercular angle 2 - 4 (3); circumpeduncular scales 16; ctenoid scales beginning at 7 - 13 (? / 8) transverse scale rows behind gill opening; gill rakers 2 - 4 + 8 - 13 = 10 - 17 (2 + 10); pseudobranch filaments 5 - 7 (5). Head pores (all bilaterally paired except posterior interorbital pores): nasal pores 2; anterior interorbital pores 1; posterior interorbital pores 0; supraotic pores 2; suborbital pores 8; posterior otic pores 0; preopercular pores 6 - 7 (7 / 7);

Pseudoplesiops wassi, a new species of dottyback fish (Teleostei: Pseudochromidae: Pseudoplesiopinae) from the West Pacific.

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A species of Pseudoplesiops with the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays I, 27 - 29, usually I, 28; pelvic-fin rays I, 3; scales in lateral series 32 - 39, usually 33 - 36; and circumpeduncular scales 16.

Pseudoplesiops wassi, a new species of dottyback fish (Teleostei: Pseudochromidae: Pseudoplesiopinae) from the West Pacific.

discussion

Comparisons. Pseudoplesiops wassi appears to be closely related to P. collare Gill, Randall & Edwards from Indonesia; the two species are unique among Pseudoplesiops in having 14 precaudal vertebrae (only one other pseudoplesiopine - an undescribed Lubbockichthys - has 14 precaudal vertebrae; all other species have 10 - 13). They are readily distinguished from each other by the following characters: scales in lateral series (32 - 39, usually 33 - 36 in P. wassi versus 39 - 42 in P. collare); transverse scales (12 - 14 versus 16 - 19); and circumpeduncular scales (16 versus 20). They also differ markedly in coloration (compare Gill et al., 1991: figs 1 - 4, with Figs 1 - 2): P. collare has two broad, yellow to brown oblique bars on the head and anterior body (one from nape through eye to jaws, the other from origin of dorsal fin to upper operculum), which are lacking in P. wassi; P. wassi usually has bluish grey to bright blue elongate spots at the base of every other dorsal- and anal-fin ray, which are lacking in P. collare. Pseudoplesiops wassi is similar to P. revellei Schultz (from the central Pacific) and P. immaculatus Gill and Edwards (from broadly throughout the West Pacific

Pseudoplesiops wassi, a new species of dottyback fish (Teleostei: Pseudochromidae: Pseudoplesiopinae) from the West Pacific.