Soleichthys oculofasciatus, Munroe & Menke, 2004

Munroe, Thomas A. & Menke, S. B., 2004, Two New Soleid Flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes: Soleidae: Soleichthys) from Australian Waters, With a Re-description of Soleichthys microcephalus (Günther), Records of the Australian Museum 56 (2), pp. 247-258 : 255-257

Soleichthys oculofasciatus n.sp.

Figs. 2, 4; Tables 1, 4

Banded-eye Sole

Type material. HOLOTYPE: QM I. 23589, 107.7 mm SL, Trunk Reef , Australia, 18°23.5'S 146°45'E, 49 m. PARATYPE: QM I. 23194, 124.6 mm SL, N. Cape Bowling Green, 19°9'S 147°24'E, 28 m.

Distinguishing characters. Soleichthys oculofasciatus is readily distinguished from congeners in having a combination of: low meristic features (45–46 vertebrae, 79– 81 dorsal-fin rays, 68 anal-fin rays, and 85–86 lateral-line scales), a series of 11 complete crossbands on the ocular side that are wider than their respective interspaces, four conspicuous white spots on its ocular surface with two arranged in vertical series, three crossbands on the head, two elongate ocular-side pectoral-fin rays with the first fin ray noticeably longer than the second, and in lacking scales on the ocular-side pectoral-fin base and proximal halves of elongated ocular-side pectoral-fin rays.

Description. Meristic and morphometric features for the holotype and paratype are summarized in Tables 1 and 4. Body elongate, greatest depth (about 2.5 in SL) in anterior one-third of body; taper gradual in posterior one-fifth of body; body thick, especially in region of pectoral fins. Head ca. 0.52 BD; narrow; head width equal to, or slightly larger than, head length; dorsal and ventral contours of head gently sloped posteriorly. Snout bluntly squarish; about equal to or slightly larger than eye diameter; snout tip on horizontal through ventral region of fixed eye. Ocular-side snout without dermal papillae or conspicuous cirri; blind-side snout with well-developed papillae and cirri in nostril region and along dorsal profile overlying pterygiophore region. Ocular-side anterior nostril when depressed posteriorly usually extending to point between anterior margin and middle of fixed eye. Posterior margin of jaws at point between verticals through anterior margin of pupil and anterior margin of fixed eye. Ocular-side upper lip smooth, lower lip with longitudinal plicae. Blind-side lips with several obvious plicae. Eyes large (ED> SNL), conspicuous, oval. Opercles without obvious cirri. Gill covers with fleshy membranous attachment to dorsalmost pectoral-fin rays in each fin; on the ocular-side, opercular membrane extends from bases to about half-way point of two longest fin rays; blind-side opercular membrane thicker and connected to dorsalmost two or three pectoral-fin rays from their bases nearly to their distal tips. Ocular-side lateral line anteriorly with noticeably curved portion on opercle and continuing anteriorly onto head and terminating at point dorsal to, and posterior of, migrated eye. Dorsal-fin origin on midline, usually at vertical between mid-point of upper jaw and anterior margin of migrated eye. Dorsal-fin pterygiophore formula 1-2-2 (holotype) or 2-0-2 (paratype). Dorsal-fin rays nearly equal in length throughout fin. Basal one-third of ocular sides of dorsal-fin rays in anterior region of fin covered with small ctenoid scales; in posterior two-thirds of fin, fin rays with scales covering about three-fourths of their lengths. Anal-fin rays about equal in length throughout fin. Ocular sides of anal-fin rays mostly without scales, except that anterior anal-fin rays with small ctenoid scales on their basal regions. Blind sides of dorsal- and anal-fin rays without scales in anterior two-thirds of fin and with scales covering basal portion to about one-third length of fin rays in posterior thirds of these fins. Caudal fin rectangular, long, with nearly all fin rays of equal length; with 18 fin rays. Proximal one-half of ocular side of caudal fin covered with ctenoid scales; blind side of caudal fin with scales covering basal one-third of fin and also extending to about mid-point of some caudal-fin rays. Ocular-side pectoral fin long, pointed, with 11 rays; two dorsalmost rays elongated, with consecutive fin rays becoming progressively shorter. First ocular-side pectoral-fin ray noticeably longer than second (length of longest fin ray nearly equal to POL); elongated pectoral-fin rays without scales; remainder of fin scaly only on its basal region. Blind-side pectoral fin short, rounded, with 10–11 relatively short fin rays; blind-side pectoral-fin rays and fin base not noticeably scaly. Blindside pelvic fin nearly on body midline, ocular-side pelvic fin situated slightly on right side of body. Scales on body small, somewhat pointed in centres, strongly ctenoid with ctenii best developed in central region of scales. Lateralline scales small, cycloid, with small, slightly raised pore.

Pigmentation (in alcohol, Fig. 4). Ocular-side background colouration medium- to dark-brown with a series of 11 continuous, mostly straight, darker-brown crossbands on head and body and with at least four conspicuous, rounded white spots on body. Head with three continuous crossbands, anteriormost crossing snout and chin, middle band passing immediately posterior to eyes, and posteriormost band on posterior head and opercle. Eight crossbands of nearly uniform width throughout their lengths extending continuously across body from dorsal-fin base to anal-fin base beginning from area posterior to pectoral-fin insertion and continuing posteriorly to caudal-fin base. Anterior and posterior borders of body crossbands, especially in their dorsal and ventral regions, generally outlined with darker pigment than their mid-lateral regions. Crossbands on posterior head and body generally broader than respective interspaces, which are light tan to whitish. Pigmentation of both crossbands and interspaces continued onto proximal two-thirds of dorsal- and anal-fin rays. Body also with four, small, rounded white spots; the most conspicuous spot (approximately equals ED) situated on lateral line just beyond distal tips of elongated pectoral-fin rays; second largest spot (slightly smaller than ED) on dorsal margin at mid-body region; ventralmost spot on ventral body margin at base of anal-fin rays on vertical equal with dorsalmost spot; smallest spot (smaller than pupil of eye) less conspicuous than others and located on dorsal margin of body between gill opening and tip of elongated pectoral-fin rays. Ocular-side anterior nostril uniformly brown throughout its length. Inner lining of mouth black. Inner linings of opercles and ocular-side isthmus with concentrations of pepperdot melanophores. Blind side of head and body yellowish-white. Holotype without pepperdot melanophores on blind side; paratype with small number of pepperdots on blind side along pterygiophore regions of dorsal and anal fins. Crossbands of body continued onto proximal two-thirds of dorsal and anal fins. Anteriormost dorsal-fin rays whitish on both sides. Otherwise, ocular sides of dorsal and anal fins with light-brown basal membranes and with fin rays streaked noticeably darker (and more outlined) than membranes; distal one-third of dorsal- and anal-fin rays with longitudinal dark band continuous or nearly continuous throughout entire length of fins. Blind sides of dorsal and anal fins dark-brown throughout entire lengths of fin rays and with black band on distal one-half to one-third of fin rays. Proximal one-third of ocular side of caudal fin with brown crossband basally; middle third of fin whitish; and with a black pigment band on distal one-third of caudal fin continuous with that on dorsal and anal fins. Proximal threefourths of blind side of caudal fin off-white to yellowish; distal one-third of caudal fin on blind side with black band. Ocular-side pectoral fin uniformly dark brown, darker than crossbands on body; blind-side pectoral fin white, with very few pepperdot melanophores on fin and fin base, and without pepperdots on body region behind pectoral fin. Ocular-side pelvic fin dark brown; blind-side pelvic fin whitish.

Distribution ( Fig. 2). Known from two specimens collected in tropical waters off eastern Queensland; one taken in 49 m at Trunk Reef, eastern Australia (18°23'S) and the other collected at 28 m at a site north of Cape Bowling Green (19°9'S).

Etymology. From the Latin, oculatus, having eyes, and fasciatus meaning banded; in reference to the pigment band encompassing the eyes of this species.

Comparisons. Soleichthys oculofasciatus is readily differentiated from S. heterorhinos , S. nigrostriolatus , S. lineatus and S. multifasciatus by its lower meristic features (45–46 vs. 48–53 total vertebrae, 79–81 vs. 85–105 dorsalfin rays, 68 vs. 74–91 anal-fin rays and 85–86 vs. 100–124 lateral-line scales in these other species, respectively) and in its pigmentation pattern including fewer (8 vs. 17–31) body crossbands. It further differs from S. heterorhinos , S. nigrostriolatus and S. multifasciatus in having only three crossbands on its head (vs. more than five crossbands in these other species). Soleichthys oculofasciatus differs from S. microcephalus and S. serpenpellis in having the first elongate ocular-side pectoral-fin ray longer than the second (vs. second elongate pectoral-fin ray longer than first) and in lacking scales on the elongate pectoral-fin ray (vs. scales present). The new species differs further from both S. microcephalus and S. serpenpellis in having a longer and narrower head and longer caudal fin (compare respective data in Tables 2, 3 and 4). It is further differentiated from S. serpenpellis in having complete crossbands (vs. some incomplete), in having four white spots of different sizes, two of which are in vertical alignment, on its ocular surface (vs. two spots of nearly equal size and in horizontal alignment) and in lacking small, brown spots on its ocular side (vs. spots present). From S. siammakuti and S. maculosus , S. oculofasciatus is readily distinguished in lacking spots on the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins characteristic of these other species. Soleichthys oculofasciatus can also be distinguished from S. tubiferus because the latter species lacks crossbands in its ocular-side colour pattern.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. A. Cooper, R. Gibbons and A. Long (NSL), F. Chapleau (University of Ottawa), and P. Healy, R. Chapman and R. Greene (SI) assisted with various aspects of this project. Special thanks are extended to the following individuals for providing specimens and information used in this study: J. Paxton, J. Leis and M. McGrouther (AMS), A. Gill and P. Campbell (BMNH), A. Graham and P. Last (CSIRO), S. Müller (MHNG), M. Desoutter and G. Duhamel (MNHN), E. Mikschi (NMW), H. Larson and R. Williams (NTM), J. Johnson (QM), M.J.P. van Oijen (RMNH), G. Allen, B. Hutchins, and S. Morrison (WAM) and P. Bartsch (ZMB). S. Raredon (SI) provided photographs for the fishes considered in this paper. Comments provided by two anonymous reviewers on an earlier draft improved the manuscript. Appreciation is extended to M. Sangrey, the Research Training Program at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Award No. DBI-9531331) for providing the opportunity and funding for S. Menke to undertake this study.