Onigocia sibogae

description

Description. Counts and proportional measurements are given in Table 1. Data of the following description are presented first for all specimens, then for the lectotype in parentheses. Body depressed, mostly covered with ctenoid scales, some cycloid scales on undersurface. Head flattened; postorbital region, opercle and nape scaled. Snout slender, slightly longer than eye diameter. Upper surface of eye without papillae and ocular flaps. Upper iris lappet finely crenate, rarely absent (finely crenate in lectotype); lower iris lappet broad and bilobed (Fig. 3 B). Interorbit narrow and concave. Top and side of head bearing spines and serrated ridges (Fig. 3 A). Nasal with one pair of small spines. One or two ethmoid spines present (one on both sides). Lachrymal usually with two or rarely with three distinct antrorse spines (two). Anterior portion of lachrymal with inner, middle and outer ridges; middle and outer ridges ending in lachrymal spine anteriorly. Three lachrymal ridges usually lacking spines, only right side of inner ridge with single spine on posterior end in one specimen, QM I. 36023 (lacking spines). Two to five sharp preocular spines present (two on left and four on right

Onigocia sibogae, a replacement name for a distinct species of flathead fish, Platycephalus grandisquamis Weber, 1913 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae)

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A species of Onigocia with usually I + VII- 11 dorsal and 11 anal fin rays, eight caudal fin rays, 30 – 31 lateral line scales, anterior two or three scales with a spine, three scales between second dorsal fin and lateral line, no ocular and interopercular flaps, upper iris lappet usually finely crenate, two or three antrorse lachrymal spines, usually no spines on the inner ridge of the lachrymal, 2 – 5 preocular spines, no notch on the suborbital ridge below the eye, suborbital ridge serrated by 16 – 26 small spines, and 2 – 4 distinct blackish spots on middle and posterior portions of pelvic fin rays.

Onigocia sibogae, a replacement name for a distinct species of flathead fish, Platycephalus grandisquamis Weber, 1913 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae)

discussion

Remarks. Platycephalus grandisquamis Weber, 1913 was originally described based on six syntypes and five of them are in existence at present (Weber, 1913; de Beaufort, 1956; Neijssen et al., 1982). Of the five specimens, two (ZMA 112435, 32.1 – 53.1 mm SL) were also designated as the syntypes of Platycephalus horai de Beaufort, 1956. However, Platycephalus horai is identical with Thysanophrys celebica (Bleeker, 1854) by having 12 second dorsal and 13 anal fin rays, 50 or more lateral line scales, upper iris lappet shortly branched, a single small papilla on the posterior half of the upper surface of the eye, the suborbital ridge with 6 – 8 spines, including 2 – 3 preorbital spines, and a single preocular spine (see also Knapp, 1986 for its synonymy). One specimen, ZMA 124954 (formerly ZMA 112434, 40.2 mm SL), can be identified with O. grandisquama (Regan) by having characters such as I + VIII- 11 dorsal and 11 anal fin rays, 34 lateral line scales, a single short ocular flap, lachrymal with two antrorse spines, and suborbital ridge finely serrated and without a distinct notch below the eye (see Imamura & McGrouther, 2008 for its taxonomic characters). The remaining two syntypes, ZM

Onigocia sibogae, a replacement name for a distinct species of flathead fish, Platycephalus grandisquamis Weber, 1913 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae)

distribution

Distribution. Known from the Ceram, Arafura, Timor and Coral seas, at depths of 9 – 64 m.

Onigocia sibogae, a replacement name for a distinct species of flathead fish, Platycephalus grandisquamis Weber, 1913 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae)