Upeneus guttatus ( Day, 1868 )

Motomura, Hiroyuki, Yamashita, Masahiro, Itou, Masahide, Haraguchi, Yuriko & Iwatsuki, Yukio, 2012, First Records of the Two-tone Goatfish, Upeneus guttatus, from Japan, and Comparisons with U. japonicus (Perciformes: Mullidae), Species Diversity 17 (1), pp. 7-14 : 8-13

Upeneus guttatus ( Day, 1868)

[New standard Japanese name: Akane-himeji] (Figs 1A, B, 2, 3; Tables 1 –2)

Upeneoides guttatus Day, 1868: 938 [type locality: Madras (currently Chennai), India].

Upeneus bensasi (not of Temminck and Schlegel 1843): Day 1875: 121, pl. 30, g. 5 (Madras, India); Lachner 1954: 509 (in part; Philippines).

Upeneus crosnieri Fourmanoir and Guézé, 1967: 52 , g. I/c (type locality: Mitsio , Pracel Bank, Madagascar) .

Upeneus sp. 1: Gloerfelt-Tarp and Kailola 1984: 215, lowermost right g. (southwestern Indonesia).

Upeneus guttatus: Randall and Kulbicki 2006: 301 , gs 3–4 (Indo–West Paci c); Uiblein and Heemstra 2010: 42, pls 1C, 3C (Indian Ocean); Uiblein and Heemstra 2011b: 647, gs 1B, 2–3 (Indian Ocean).

Japanese specimens examined. 21 specimens, 57.8– 139.5 mm SL: KAUM –I. 5492, 116. 7 mm SL, 24 July 2007, KAUM –I. 7819, 57. 8 mm SL, 7 July 2007, KAUM –I. 9636, 84.4 mm SL, 26 Apr. 2008, KAUM –I. 9845, 100.1 mm SL, KAUM –I. 9846, 89. 3 mm SL, 7 May 2008, KAUM –I. 10542, 91. 3 mm SL, 29 May 2008, KAUM –I. 11885, 80.5 mm SL, KAUM –I. 11887, 88. 3 mm SL, 5 June 2008, KAUM – I. 9847, 104.8 mm SL, KAUM –I. 11894, 91. 5 mm SL, 10 June 2008, KAUM –I. 12842, 128. 4 mm SL, 30 June 2008, KAUM –I. 12844, 107. 5 mm SL, 9 June 2008, KAUM – I. 13067, 119.2 mm SL, 9 Sep. 2008, KAUM –I. 24229, 82. 1 mm SL, 23 May 2009, KAUM –I. 24422, 74. 4 mm SL, 22 July 2009, KAUM –I. 24423, 84. 3 mm SL, 12 June 2009, KAUM –I. 30431, 135. 6 mm SL, 1 June 2010, KAUM – I. 36056, 125.1 mm SL, 2 Sep . 2010 , east of Sakinoyama, Kataura, Kasasa , Minami-satsuma , Kagoshima, 31°25′44″N, 130°11′49″E, set net, 27 m, M. Itou ; KAUM –I . 11011, 114. 1 mm SL, 28 July 2008, KAUM –I. 21032, 139.5 mm SL, 17 Apr. 2009, KAUM –I. 21035, 79. 9 mm SL, 26 May 2009, o Kouzaki-yama, Kataura, Kasasa , Minami-satsuma , Kagoshima, 31°26′00″N, 130°10′05″E, set net, 36 m; KAUM –I. 6999, 61. 5 mm SL, Uchinoura Bay, Kimotsuki , Kagoshima, 31°17′N, 131°05′E, 15 Feb. 2007, set net, 40 m, M. Yamada .

Comparative material from the Indo–West Paci c. 14 specimens, 96.3–133.9 mm SL: AMS I. 25, syntype of Upeneoides guttatus , 104. 4 mm SL, Madras (Chennai), India, 13°01′N, 80°03′E, F. Day ; BPBM 33440, 115 . 4 mm SL, Ma a Channel, Tanzania, bottom trawl, 10–50 m, F . Nansen , Nov . 1982; BPBM 33815, 107. 3 mm SL, Chester eld Islands, New Caledonia, R / V Alis, 20 Aug. 1988; BPBM 39470, 117. 2 mm SL, Belep Islands , New Caledonia, trawl, 35 m, M. Kulbicki , R / V Vauban, 10 July 1986; FRLM 26495, 133 . 9 mm SL, Bitung , Sulawesi, Indonesia, S . Kimura and T . Peristiwady , 23 Oct . 2000; FRLM 29978 , 96 .3 mm SL, FRLM 30073, 110. 8 mm SL, Phuket , fflailand, S. Kimura et al ., 24 Sep . 2003 ; MNHN 1965-17 , holotype of Upeneus crosnieri , 127. 5 mm SL, Mitsio , Pracel Bank, Madagascar, 45 m, A. Crosnier ; USNM 306102 , 3 , 102 .8–129. 0 mm SL, Ras Binnah , Somalia, 11°16′18″N, 51°15′36″E, 57–59 m, G . Small , 16 Nov . 1989; USNM 395448 , 3 , 106 .9– 115. 2 mm SL, o Isle Umm , Massawa, Eritrea, Red Sea, 15°09′N, 40°31′E, 35 m, L. Knapp , 19 Sep . 1971 .

Description.C ounts and measurements, expressed as percentages of SL, are given in Table 1. Frequency distributions of gill-raker counts are given in Table 2.

First dorsal- n spine longest; all dorsal- n so rays branched. Anal- n spine extremely short; rst anal- n so ray unbranched and spinous, segmented in outer half. Mouth small, ventral and oblique; posterior margin of maxilla extending beyond a vertical through anterior margin of orbit; posterior margin of maxilla membranous and convex; upper-jaw length less than half head length. Posterior tip of depressed barbel reaching (rarely slightly extending beyond) a vertical through preopercular margin. Band of small nodular teeth in each jaw, about 2 or 3 rows of teeth at front, becoming about 6–8 rows centrally. Vomer with a few villiform teeth posteriorly, no teeth anteriorly. Palatines with broad band of villiform teeth. Teeth present on ectopterygoids. Tongue fused to oor of mouth. Anterior nostril a short, vertically oval opening with dorsal edge of opening below level of ventral margin of orbit. Posterior nostril vertically oval opening, dorsal edge of opening at same hight as ventral margin of pupil. Length of longest gill raker on rst gill arch subequal to that of longest gill laments. Opercular spine at level of middle of eye, spine tip not reaching opercular margin. Scales nely ctenoid; body scales extending onto bases of second dorsal, anal, and caudal ns. First dorsal- n origin above fourth pored lateral-line scale. Second dorsal- n origin anterior to anal- n origin. Pectoral n extending beyond a vertical through last spine base of rst dorsal n. Posterior tip of depressed pelvic n extending slightly beyond a vertical through pectoral- n tip, but not reaching to anus. Formula for con guration of supraneural bones, anterior neural spines, and anterior dorsal pterygiophores 0/0/0+1/1+1/1/1/1/1/. Vertebrae 10+14. Upper series of procurrent caudal- n rays 7 or 8, lower series 7; segmented caudal- n rays 10+9; branched caudal- n rays 7+6. Swimbladder present.

Color when fresh (based on color photographs of 19 fresh specimens): Head and body reddish dorsally, whitish pink ventrally, sometimes with faint longitudinal stripe from eye to caudal- n base. Barbels yellow. First dorsal n pale red anteriorly, translucent with poorly de ned reddish spots posteriorly. Second dorsal n translucent with 4 irregular red bars. Pectoral n translucent yellow. Pelvic and anal ns translucent with indistinct reddish spots scattered on rays. Caudal- n upper lobe with 4 or 5 red bars reaching to n margin and indistinct red bar close to n base (not reaching to margin). Caudal- n lower lobe with 4–9 reddish bars or spots on ventral margin of lobe (bars and spots distinct when young, becoming more irregular with growth); upper half of lobe uniformly reddish without spots or stripes. Posterior margin of caudal n white, dark sub-marginally. In preserved specimens, reddish bars and spots faded and barely discernible.

Distribution.W idely distributed in the Indo–West Paci c, ranging from the east coast of Africa and the Red Sea east to southern Japan, the Philippines, and New Caledonia (Uiblein and Heemstra 2011; this study). ffle present specimens from Kagoshima represent the rst records of U. guttatus from Japan and also from East Asian waters.

Remarks. U peneus guttatus was originally described by Day (1868) as Upeneoides guttatus from Madras (currently Chennai), India. Day’s description was based on multiple specimens, although he did not provide registration numbers or the number of type specimens. fflree syntypes are recognized in museum collections, i.e., AMS I.25, BMNH 1868.5.14. 11, and BMNH 1975.9.30. 19 (dry) ( Eschmeyer 1998).

Uiblein and Heemstra (2010, 2011b) redescribed U. gutEighthdorsal-nsoraylength 6.2–7.9 (7.0) — 6.7 6.1–7.3 (6.6) 7.5 5.8–8.1 (7.0) Ninthdorsal-nsoraylength 6.5-8.5 (7.3) 7.6 7.5 5.7–8.8 (7.5) 7.6 6.0–8.4 (7.3) Anal-nspinelength 0.5–1.6 (1.1) 1.0 — 0.7–1.5 (1.0) — 0.5–1.1 (0.9) Firstanal-nsoraylength 8.4–10.5 (9.1) 8.2 9.3 7.9–10.4 (9.0) — 7.4–11.2 (9.5) Secondanal-nsoraylength 12.9–15.1 (14.4) 14.0 15.0 13.3–15.7 (14.8) — 12.9–16.3 (14.6) Lastanal-nsoraylength 7.2–9.4 (8.2) 7.7 — 6.8–9.7 (8.0) 8.7 7.4–10.0 (8.4) Caudal-nlength 25.4–29.8 (28.2) —— 23.2–30.2 (27.6) — 22.5–30.7 (25.6) Caudal-concavitylength 14.6–18.1 (16.5) —— 13.9–18.1 (16.1) — 11.7–15.1 (13.1) Pectoral-nlength 19.6–22.6 (20.7) 18.9 18.2 19.1–21.4 (20.1) 24.5 21.3–26.0 (23.5) 1 Pelvic-nspinelength 13.0–16.4 (15.0) 14.3 14.5 14.2–16.1 (14.9) 13.9 12.0–16.3 (14.1) Longestpelvic-nraylength 19.1–22.5 (20.3) 18.5 19.5 18.5–21.7 (20.1) 19.7 17.5–22.5 (20.0)

1 Based on 32 specimens.

tatus on the basis of Indian Ocean specimens and distinguished it from other members of the Indo-Paci c U. japonicus species group by having a reddish body without a distinct lateral stripe, 12–14 (mostly 13) pectoral- n rays, 28–31 lateral-line scales, 23–25 gill rakers, the color pattern of the caudal- n lower lobe, and several morphometric features. Characters of the present specimens from Kagoshima, Japan, agree with those of U. guttatus given by Uiblein and Heemstra (2010, 2011b), with the exception of the gill raker count (22–24, but only one specimen with 22 rakers; Table 2).

Upeneus guttatus is similar to a co-occurring species in Japanese waters, U. japonicus , in sharing the presence of teeth on the ectopterygoids ( Kim and Nakaya 2002; this study) and a reddish body coloration. ffle two species have been confused; Day (1875) and Lachner (1954) mistakenly reported U. guttatus as a junior synonym of U. bensasi ( Temminck and Schlegel, 1843) (currently regarded as a junior synonym of U. japonicus ; see Randall et al. 1993). Uiblein and Heemstra (2010) mentioned that U. guttatus di ers from U. japonicus in having “fewer gill rakers, shorter barbels, shorter pectoral ns, and bars present along ventral margin of lower caudal- n lobe in fresh sh”. However, they did not give concrete values of meristics and morphometrics of U. japonicus . Detailed comparisons between the two species in this study show that Uiblein and Heemstra’s (2010) purported di erences between the two species are accurate. Upeneus guttatus has 5–7 (mode 6) gill rakers on the upper limb, 15–18 (17) rakers on the lower limb, and 21–25 (24) rakers in total whereas U. japonicus has 6 or 7 (7), 17–20 (18), and 24–27 (25), respectively (Table 2). Barbels of U. guttatus tend to be shorter [15.4–20.2% of SL (mean 18.2%)] than those of U. japonicus [18.9–25.1% (22.1%)] ( Table 1; Fig. 3A). While the posterior tips of the depressed barbels of U. japonicus extend well beyond a vertical through the preopercular margin, those of U. guttatus usually just reach the margin. Pectoral- n length of U. guttatus [18.2–22.6% of SL (mean 20.4%)] is also shorter than that of U. japonicus [21.3–26.0% (23.5%)] ( Table 1; Fig. 3B).

Coloration of the lower caudal- n lobe of U. guttatus differs from that of U. japonicus when the sh are fresh. ffle ventral half of the lower lobe of U. guttatus is whitish with irregular red bars and/or poorly de ned spots (bars and spots distinct when young, becoming more irregular with growth; Fig. 2), and the upper half of the lobe is dark red without any markings (Figs. 1A, B, 2A–D). ffle ventral and posterior margins of the lower lobe of U. japonicus are white without red bars or spots and the remaining part of the lobe is uniformly red with a narrow black margin posteroventrally (Figs. 1C, D).

Although Uiblein and Heemstra (2011b) showed geographic variation in morphology and color patterns of U. guttatus within the Indian Ocean, detailed population data for this species in the western Paci c Ocean are unavailable and cannot therefore be compared with data from the Japanese population. All the Japanese specimens examined in this study had yellow barbels, whereas specimens from the Indian Ocean had white (2 specimens) and yellow (13 specimens) barbels ( Uiblein and Heemstra 2011b). Examination of color photographs of 19 specimens taken when fresh shows that the upper caudal- n lobe of Japanese U. guttatus has 4 or 5 red bars reaching to the n margin and an indistinct red bar close to the n base (not reaching to the margin) (Figs. 1A, B, 2). In contrast, the upper lobe of U. guttatus from the Gulf of Suez has 3 and 1 bars respectively, and in sh from the Indian Ocean it has 4 and 1 bars respectively ( Uiblein and Heemstra 2011b). ffle number of reddish bars on the ventral margin of the caudal- n lower lobe in Japanese U. guttatus is 4–9 whereas that of conspeci cs from the Seychelles Bank is 2–5, and 5–8 in sh from the Gulf of Suez and Chennai ( Uiblein and Heemstra 2011b). fflere is some possibility that the Japanese specimens of U. guttatus represent a separate species or a distinct geographic population of U. guttatus ; further research on specimens from the western Paci c is required.