Colletteichthys flavipinnis, Greenfield, David W., 2012

Greenfield, David W., 2012, Colletteichthys flavipinnis, a new toadfish species from Sri Lanka and India (Teleostei: Batrachoididae), Zootaxa 3437, pp. 24-31 : 25-27

Colletteichthys flavipinnis n. sp.

Yellowfin Toadfish

( Figs. 1–3 , 6–7 )

Holotype. CMFRI GB.9.1.2.1,111.2 mm, off Tuticorin, India, mini trawl, K.K. Bineesh & R. Kumar, 22 January 2010.

Paratypes. USNM 221342 (4), 55.1–132.2 mm, Sri Lanka, Kakaithivu, about 4.8 km south of Vaddukkodai, Jaffna area, 2–3 m, T. Roberts, 20–21 March 1970; CAS 233657, 104.7 mm, taken with USNM 221342; CMFRI GB.9.1.2.1.1--2 (2), 101.6–114.8 mm, off Tuticorin, India, mini trawl, K.K. Bineesh & R. Shanis, 17 October 2010; CMFRI GB.9.1.2.1.3--13, (11), 81.2–94.8 mm, off Tuticorin, India, K.K. Bineesh & R. Shanis, 27 November 2010.

Other material examined. Colletteichthys dussumieri —Syntypes-MNHN A. 4715 and A. 4748; CAS 23719 Malabar, India; CAS 29743, Cochin India; CAS 2333658, Cochin India; AMS B. 8112, Malabar, India; AMS B. 8113, Malabar India. Colletteichthys occidentalis —Holotype-BPBM 29525, Bahrain; Paratypes—BPBM 30509, Bahrain; BPBM 33302, Saudi Arabia; BPBM 33398, Saudi Arabia; BPBM 41090, Bahrain; BPBM 21485, Quatar; USNM 147913, Saudi Arabia; CAS 233656, Saudi Arabia.

Diagnosis. A species of Colletteichthys due to the following features: three dorsal-fin spines; the body is naked; a funnel-shaped pit at the top of the pectoral-fin axil; lower gill opening well below the lower pectoral-fin base; two subopercular spines; a single tentacle located above the posterior portion of the eye; no maxillary flaps; anterior nasal tentacle not elongate; dorsal-fin rays usually 20, anal-fin rays usually 16. Colletteichthys flavipinnis differs from C. dussumieri in having one ( Fig. 3 ) instead of two or more ( Fig. 4 ) tentacles above the eye. It differs from both C. occidentalis and C. dussumieri in having yellow-orange fins, and from C. occidentalis in usually having 16 instead of 15 anal-fin rays and 20 instead of 19 dorsal-fin rays, and in having a slightly smaller (1–2% SL) eye ( Fig. 5 ).

Description. Dorsal-fin elements III-20 (19–20, usually 20); anal-fin rays 16 (14–16, usually 16); pectoral-fin rays 22 (20–22, usually 21); vertebrae 28; head length 35.6 (33.4–39.3, 36.8%); head width 31.0 (25.2–32.4, 28.4%); head depth 22.5 (19.5–23.6, 21.7%); bony interorbital width 3.7 (3.5–5.0, 4.3%); fleshy interorbital width 15.7 (12.0–15.7, 13.7%); orbit diameter 7.0 (6.8–9.3, 7.9%); snout length 5.8 (5.2–6.8, 5.8%); upper jaw length 18.3 (17.2–19.7, 18.5%); mouth width at rictus 22.2 (18.2–24.1, 21.0%); first predorsal-fin distance 36.7 (32.4–38.7, 35.6%); second predorsal-fin distance 48.9 (44.4–49.9, 47.3%); preanal-fin distance 62.3 (60.5–64.7, 62.3%); greatest body depth 22.2 (22.2–26.7, 25.2%); caudal-peduncle depth 9.6 (8.9–10.3, 9.7%); caudalpeduncle length 5.9 (5.9–8.9, 7.3%); first dorsal-fin base length 9.6 (7.2–12.4, 10.3%); second dorsal-fin base Head moderately depressed and of moderate width, eyes medium in size and not raised above head profile, interorbital area almost flat. A funnel-shaped pit at top of pectoral-fin axil, with glandular tissue inside and extending from ventral pit margin onto axil and onto side under pectoral fin. No scales. Three lateral lines, each pore with two short skin flaps: the upper one with 38 pores originating above opercle, running posteriorly in a straight line to the caudal peduncle; middle lateral line with three scattered pores along midline of side; lower line with 21 pores, running from under pectoral-fin base along anal-fin base to end of anal fin. Three rows of sensory pores with flaps across head: the posteriormost with eight pores in front of the first dorsal fin running from opercular spine to opercular spine; the second with nine pores at middle of head from preopercle to preopercle; the third, four pores with larger flaps behind the eyes. This third row could be connected to a line of pores that run behind and then under the eye. A single tentacle above eye posterior to pupil. Posterior nostrils relatively large oval openings, anterior nostrils tubular with opening on the end and lacking tentacles on the tube. Two small pores, each with a set of flaps centered on snout between posterior nostrils. A row of pores with flaps on end of snout below anterior nostrils above upper lip. End of maxilla with a small cirrus. Ventral margin of dentary with numerous cirri.

Color of freshly collected holotype ( Fig. 2 ). Background color of head and body light brown, overlaid with dark brown to black markings. A dark band crossing the caudal peduncle, the posterior edge curved anteriorly in a semicircle. Dorsal half of sides crossed by three dark bands that angle forward: the posteriormost one under soft dorsal-fin rays 11–15; middle band under rays 5–9; anterior band under rays 1–2, angling forward under pectoral fin. Ventral half of sides with five narrow dark bars angling forward: two under posteriormost dorsal bar; third in space between posterior and middle dorsal bars; and fourth and fifth under anterior dorsal bar. A dark bar across back through first dorsal fin. Top and sides of head with dark mottling, a narrow light brown band across interorbital space. Upper and lower jaws dark brown, crossed by five light brown bars, end of maxilla light brown. Pupil of eye black, iris light brown with dark spoke-like markings. All fins yellow-orange, second dorsal and anal fins with dark bars extending out from body. Faint dark bands on pectoral and caudal fins.

Color of freshly collected paratypes ( Fig. 6 ). Coloration as in holotype except that some individuals have red on the snout, cheek, top of head and nape as follows: The area from the posterior nostrils forward to end of snout; a relatively large patch behind each eye; various smaller spots on nape and on cheek.

Color of preserved holotype ( Fig. 7 ). Color as in fresh specimen except that background is light cream and dark markings are brown.

Distribution. Known only from the Tuticorin area of India and the adjacent Jaffna area of Sri Lanka ( Fig. 8 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective from the Latin flavis (yellow) and pinna (fin) referring to the yellow-orange fins of the species.

Comparisons. Colletteichthys dussumieri has two or three tentacles above the eye ( Greenfield, 2012), whereas C. flavipinnis has only one, and C. flavipinnis has yellow fins whereas C. dussumieri has dark fins, sometimes with yellow tinges ( Fig. 9 ). Whereas some specimens of C. flavipinnis have red on the top of the head, the second author has never seen this coloration in C. dussumieri . Colletteichthys occidentalis also has only one tentacle above the eye, but differs in having gray fins with white lines instead of yellow, usually 15 instead of 16 anal-fin rays and 19 instead of 20 dorsal-fin rays, and in having a larger eye for similar sized individuals ( Fig. 5 ).

The COI sequences of Colletteichthys flavipinnis and C. dussumieri showed a clear barcode split (4.4% divergence) congruent with morphological differences ( Fig. 10 ). Very low (0.5%) intraspecific divergences were found in six specimens of Colletteichthys flavipinnis .

Remarks. Colletteichthys flavipinnis appears to be a smaller species than C. dussumieri . The largest specimens of C. flavipinnis collected to date are 114.8 mm. One of our specimens (87.7 mm) is gravid with large eggs, whereas S. Roja (pers. comm.) has found that the minimum size at maturity for C. dussumieri is 130 mm. A specimen 80 mm contained a single crab in its stomach with a carapace width of 17.7 mm. We do not know if red coloration on top of the head in some specimens may be related to their reproductive state.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Freshly collected specimen of Colletteichthys flavipinnis, Tuticorin, India. Photograph by Arumugam. Murugan.

FIGURE 2. Freshly collected holotype of Colletteichthys flavipinnis. Photograph by K. K. Bineesh.

FIGURE 3. Eye of holotype of Colletteichthys flavipinnis showing single tentacle above it. Photograph by D. W. Greenfield.

FIGURE 4. Eye of Colletteichthys dussumieri (CAS 233658) showing three tentacles above it (Fig. 5 from Greenfield, 2012).

FIGURE 5. Plot of eye size as percent standard length versus standard length of C. occidentalis (blue diamonds) and C. flavipinnis from India (magenta squares) and Sri Lanka (green triangles).

FIGURE 6. Head coloration of freshly collected paratype of Colletteichthys flavipinnis. Photograph by K. K. Bineesh.

FIGURE 7. Preserved holotype of Colletteichthys flavipinnis. Photograph by D. W. Greenfield.

FIGURE 8. Distribution of species of Colletteichthys. Circles = C. occidentalis, stars = C. dussumieri, squares = C. flavipinnis.

FIGURE 9. Freshly collected specimen of Colletteichthys dussumieri, Cochin estuary, India. Photograph by K. K. Bineesh.

FIGURE 10. Neighbor Joining tree of Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences derived from Colletteichthys species using K 2 P distances.