Lampris australensis, Underkoffler & Luers & Hyde & Craig, 2018

Underkoffler, Karen E., Luers, Meagan A., Hyde, John R. & Craig, Matthew T., 2018, A taxonomic review of Lampris guttatus (Brünnich 1788) (Lampridiformes; Lampridae) with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4413 (3), pp. 551-565 : 556-557

Lampris australensis , n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B4DA73E2-8559-4490-BB0F-9EFC46246401 Fig. 4C

Lampris guttatus (Brünnich 1788)

Lampris guttatus Lineage 4. Hyde et al. 2014.

Common name. Southern Spotted Opah Holotype. CSIRO H4880-01, unknown sex, 673 mm SL, 16.0 kg (preserved specimen weight), east of Tasman Island , Tasmania, 43° 12’ S, 148° 18’ E, 27 October 1998, longline.

Paratypes. CSIRO H1993-1, unknown sex, 538 mm SL, 6.97 kg (preserved specimen weight), Tasmania, Australia, 24 July 1989, longline; AM I.24492-001, unknown sex, 870 mm SL, off Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia, 15 March 1984.

Diagnosis. A species of Lampris distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays I,52; anal-fin rays 40; pectoral-fin rays 23; pelvic-fin rays 13; greatest body depth 1.3 times in standard length; head length 2.7 times in standard length; eye diameter 5.2 times in head length; origin of pelvic fins below or posterior to middle of elongated portion of dorsal fin; dorsal profile of head distinctly arched (convex); body steel-blue with numerous, mostly circular, white to silver spots that often extend to distal tip of dorsal fin; caudal fin with wide, yellow margin; dorsal and anal fins with narrow yellow margin.

Description. Dorsal-fin rays I,52 (I,50–52); anal-fin rays 40 (40–42); pectoral-fin rays 23 (22–23); pelvic-fin rays 13 (13–15). Body laterally compressed and rounded, its greatest depth slightly anterior to pelvic fins and contained 1.37 (1.37–1.45) times in standard length; head length 2.78 (2.7–2.8) times in standard length; eye diameter 5.2 (5.0–5.2) in head length; pupil large; jaws protractible and lacking teeth; upper jaw shorter than lower jaw; lower jaw protrudes slightly forward of upper jaw, the tip narrowing to a blunt point; throat and palate without teeth. Lateral line angled above gill opening, arching above pectoral fins, and extending along mid-height of body through center of caudal peduncle. Scales small, thin, and easily removed over entire body. Dorsal fin long, the length of its base 1.8 (1.6–1.8) times in standard length; Dorsal fin high, its height contained 2.7 (2.5–2.7) in standard length.

Coloration. In dead specimens (unpreserved), body steel-blue with numerous, mostly circular, white to lightgrey spots that often extend to distal tip of dorsal fin; caudal fin with wide, yellow margin; dorsal and anal fins with narrow yellow margin. Fins red to scarlet red. In preserved specimens, body dark grey with spots and median fins appearing yellowish tan.

Distribution. Lampris australensis is known only from the southern hemisphere where it is confirmed from specimens, photos, and DNA samples off Australia, Chile, South Africa, and Tasmania.

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the Latin australis meaning “southern” in reference to the known range of the species in the southern hemisphere.

Remarks. Dr. Stephen Lamberth of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of South Africa graciously provided morphological measurements of four uncatalogued specimens. Two of these specimens were genetically identified as L. guttatus Lineage 4 of Hyde et al. (2014) and the morphological measurements of all four specimens match well with the type material. Unfortunately these specimens are no longer available for deposition in a museum collection.

Figures

FIGURE4. Species of the genus Lampris. A) Lampris immaculatus*, B)Lampris guttatus, uncatalogued, 118 cm TL †, C) AM I.24492-001, holotype, Lampris australensis n. sp. 67.3 cm SL, D) MMF 42253, Lampris lauta, 90.5 cm SL, E) USNM 402733, holotype, Lamprismegalopsisn. sp., 85.3 cm SL, F) USNM 402731, holotype, Lampris incognitusn. sp., 82.8 cm SL. (*Photograph by Dianne J. Bray, Lampris immaculatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 17 Feb 2018, http:// fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1503)(† Photograph courtesy of Patrice Francour).