Serranus sanctaehelenae Boulenger, 1895

Iwamoto, Tomio & Wirtz, Peter, 2018, A Synopsis of the Eastern and Central Atlantic Combers of the Genus Serranus (Teleostei: Scorpaeniformes: Serranidae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65 (1), pp. 1-39 : 26-27

Serranus sanctaehelenae Boulenger, 1895

Figure 22

Centropristis brasiliensis (not of Brisout): Günther 1859:85. Melliss 1875:102.

Serranus sanctae-helenae Boulenger, 1895:289 , pl. XI ( St. Helena). Cadenat and Marchal 1963:1273-1275 (descr.; numerous specimens from 100 m depth)

Paracentropristis sanctae-helenae : Fowler 1936:766.

Serranus sanctaehelenae : Edwards and Glass 1987:637. Heemstra and Anderson 2016:2412.

DIAGNOSIS.— D X,12; P 18; A III,7; gill rakers 20–21 total, 14 or 15 on lower limb; lateral-line scales 46–52; circumpeduncular scales 32–34; scales below origin of first dorsal fin 5. Anteri- or nostril a simple tube lacking cirri or flaps. Snout about equal to or less than orbit diameter; upper jaw extends to below midorbit. Body depth about 3.5–4.0 into SL; head about 2.5–2.7 into SL. Caudal fin emarginate. Six broad brown bands on body: one on nape, four below dorsal fin, one on caudal peduncle; color overall buff, paler below; fins faintly yellow, without prominent markings.

DESCRIPTION (partially adapted from Boulenger 1895:289 and Heemstra and Anderson 2016:2412).— Body compressed, width across pectoral fin bases about 2.1–2. 3 in HL; depth about 3.1–4.0 times in SL; head about 2.6 in SL. Dorsal and ventral profiles gently curved; snout point- ed and equal to or longer than diameter of orbit, which goes 3.3–3.8 times in HL; fleshy interorbital width 1.3–1.6 times into orbit diameter. Lower jaw slightly projecting beyond upper jaw; maxilla extending to below middle of orbit. Anterior nostril with low anterior rim and short flaplike posterior rim without fringes. Posterior nostril lacking rim. Opercular spines three, middle spine well developed, upper and lower spines rudimentary. Preopercular margins finely serrated.

A broad tapered band of small pointed premaxilla teeth, flanked by outer series of spaced slightly enlarged teeth; a few enlarged teeth at anterior end along inner edge of band. Dentary teeth in single series laterally and a cluster of teeth at anterior end. Vomerine teeth in a V-shaped band; palatine teeth in a single series.

Scales large, ctenoid and present on all of body and most of head, but absent on lower jaws, gular and branchiostegal membranes, snout, top of head, anterior half of suborbital region, and a narrow naked strip along outer margin of preopercle; opercle, subopercle, and interopercle scaly, the scales in six to eight series on cheek. Scales absent on fins except near base of pectoral and caudal fins.

Dorsal fin originating above base of pectoral fin; spines increasing in size to the 4 th through 6 th spines, which are slightly short of half length of head, and exceeding longest soft rays; a notch between spinous and soft portions of fin. Pectoral fin obtusely pointed, somewhat longer than pelvic fin, its length about 75% of HL. Second anal spine about equal to or slightly shorter but stronger than 3 rd spine. Caudal fin feebly emarginate.

Color (based on photograph of fresh specimen from St. Helena in Fig. 22 ): Body light buff to pale greenish-yellow becoming whitish ventrally; six brown bands or vertical blotches, the first across nape extending to behind operculum, the second below first four or five spines, the third much darker and below last four or five spines; the fourth below third to fifth dorsal soft rays, the fifth below posterior half of soft dorsal, and the sixth on caudal peduncle forming a mid-lateral dark, oval, brown blotch; first four bands notably inclined. Head rather uniformly buff; operculum darker dorsally with a broad, diffuse, dark longitudinal stripe running from hind margin of preopercle to posterior edge of opercle; upper jaw light yellowish-brown. Fins mostly clear and faintly yellowish-green, but pectoral fin yellow with buff base.

Size: To about 24 cm TL.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION.— Taken in about 100–110 m; endemic to St. Helena and Ascension Islands, where it is occasionally taken in the artisanal fisheries of those islands.

REMARKS.— Meisler (1987:144) was unable to assign this species to a subgenus owing to inadequate material.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.— USNM 267902 (2, 178– 180 mm SL); St. Helena Island; caught by fishermen on hook and line in deepwater (about 70–80 m); 9 July 1983; coll. Alasdair Edwards, field no. AE3-15 .

Figures

FIGURE 22. Serranus sanctaehelenae from Saint Helena Island. Photograph by Alasdair Edwards.