Apogonichthyoides erdmanni, Fraser, Thomas H. & Allen, Gerald R., 2011

Fraser, Thomas H. & Allen, Gerald R., 2011, A new cardinalfish of the genus Apogonichthyoides (Perciformes, Apogonidae) from Raja Ampat Islands, with a key to species, Zootaxa 3095, pp. 63-68 : 64-67

Apogonichthyoides erdmanni n. sp.

( Figures 1–2 )

Type material examined. Holotype: MZB 20018, 39.2 mm SL, 51.1 mm TL, Indonesia, West Papua, Raja Ampat Islands, SE of Misool Island, Fiabacet Island, 2°13.022'S 130°33.800'E, 73 m., 19 Feb 2011, Clove oil mixed with ethanol, digital color photograph, M. V. Erdmann.

Comparative material. Amia uninotata Holotype USNM 70248 (1, 43.9), Philippines, Bisucay I., near Cuyo, Albatross, 9 Apr 1909, x-ray. Paratype USNM 339043 (1,40.0), Philippines, Palawan Is., Tara I., Mindoro Strait, Albatross, 15 Dec 1908, 3– 6 m., x-ray.

Description. For general body shape see Fig. 1 a–c. Range of proportions (as percentage of standard length): body depth 35.5; head length 44.4; eye diameter 14.8; snout length 8.7; bony interorbital width 9.2; upper-jaw length 21.7; caudal-peduncle depth 15.3; caudal-peduncle length 23.0; first dorsal-fin spine length 3.8; second dorsal-fin spine length 9.7; third dorsal-fin spine length 19.1; fourth dorsal-fin spine length 17.1; spine in second dorsal fin 15.6; first anal-fin spine length 2.8; second anal-fin spine length 12.5; pectoral-fin length 28.8; pelvic-fin length 26.0.

Dorsal fin VII-I,9; anal fin II,8; pectoral fin 15-15; pelvic fin I,5; principal caudal rays 9 + 8; pored lateral line scales 24; transverse scale rows above lateral line 1 with very small scale at base of first dorsal fin between large scales; transverse scale rows below lateral line 5; median predorsal scales 3, last scale at origin of first dorsal fin Vshaped and almost hidden; circumpeduncular scale rows 12 (5 +2+5).

Band of villiform teeth premaxilla and dentary; one to two rows on the palatine; one row on vomer; none on ectopterygoid, endopteygoid or basihyal.

Supramaxilla absent; posttemporal serrate on posterior margin; preopercle ridge smooth, edges serrate throughout margin; infraorbital edges smooth

Scales cycloid on nape and anterior part of breast; two large ctenoid pelvic scales; cycloid to very short row of ctenii on cheek; scales mostly missing on opercle; last pored lateral line scale very elongate.

Anterior nare a long tubule, posterior nare without raised ridge.

Pores pattern on the head are shown in Figs. 2 A–C. Mucous on the head obscured dorsal pores on the central region and supertemporal expanded nape area; cheek and preopercular pores not well defined.

Free neuromasts obscured on head; linear lines of free neuromasts associated with principal caudal fin-rays: seven present along ventral edges of upper branched rays (3–9) and on four on dorsal edges of lower branched rays (11–14); free neuromasts lines absent on caudal fin ray number 10, upper unbranched and branched caudal rays (1– 2), and lower unbranched and branched caudal rays (15–17).

Fresh color pattern. ( Fig. 1 A): dorsal, snout and lips of head a pale yellow, light brown below and behind eye and body light brown; two slightly darker bars on body, broad bar from base of second dorsal fin to base of anal fin and one on caudal peduncle at base of caudal fin; three dark brown marks at edge of eye, first narrowly along anterior edge of eye passing under eye extending as a thick stripe to edge of opercle, second as a thick stripe from posterior edge of eye to edge of opercle, third as an oval spot at posterior of eye above second stripe; rounded dark spot under first dorsal fin below lateral line smaller than pupil of eye; first dorsal fin dark edging from base of first two spines to distal half of third and fourth spines, pale yellow below with numerous small white spots; second dorsal fin pale yellow with proximal whitish base; anal fin distally yellow with fine melanophores, proximally with white band grading into pale yellow; caudal fin yellow with fine melanophores; spine of pelvic fin light brown with many small white spots, longer rays light brown grading to pale yellow on shorter fin rays.

Post mortem color pattern. ( Fig. 1 B): Head and body brown, scales above lateral line outlined in brown; caudal peduncle with complete brown bar, no bar below second dorsal fin to anal fin; three dark brown mark at edge of eye; first narrowly along anterior edge of eye passing under eye extending as a thick stripe to edge of opercle, second as a thick stripe from posterior edge of eye to edge of opercle, third as an oval spot at posterior of eye above second stripe; rounded dark spot under first dorsal fin below lateral line smaller than pupil of eye; first dorsal fin dark brown at base of first and second spines and distally on third to fifth spines, pale membranes from near fifth though seventh spine; second dorsal fin with a narrow stripe of melanophores separate proximal pale band from distal yellow with fine melanophores; anal fin with pale proximal band grading to fine melanophores with yellow; caudal fin yellow membranes with fine melanophores on fin rays; pelvic spine and outer fin rays dark brown, inner rays whitish.

Preserved color pattern. ( Fig. 1 C): In 70% ethyl alcohol the head and body with a brown ground color; tip of lower jaw and snout with fine dense brown spots; narrow, dark horizontal stripe from under eye becoming broad from eye onto opercle; broad dark stripe from posterior edge of eye to near tip of opercle flap; short broad mark near upper posterior edge of eye; dark round spot about equidistance from base of first dorsal fin to upper edge of pectoral fin, spot smaller than diameter of eye; cheeks with small brown spots extending on to sides scattered small brown spots on body, mostly below lateral line scales except on caudal peduncle; faint brown basicaudal bar slightly wider than pupil of eye, no other body bars apparent; black first dorsal from first two spines, most of distal membrane between third and fourth spines, about one-half of distal membrane black between fourth and fifth spines, spines and membranes pale posterior of fifth spine; second dorsal fin pale proximal one third of fin, distally with many fine brown spots; anal fin with proximal one fifth pale and distally with many fine brown spots; caudal fin with fine brown spots on membranes and fin-rays becoming less dense on membranes of inner rays; pelvic spine and first ray black to tips, inner rays pale; pectoral fin pale; scales above lateral line darkly edged.

Etymology. Named for Mark Erdmann of Conservation International, Indonesia Marine Program, who collected and photographed the type specimen. Mark has worked closely with the second author for the past six years and is responsible for numerous new discoveries, resulting from his deep scuba collections around the East Indian region.

Habitat. The specimen was collected at 73m at the base of a sheer drop off exposed to moderate to strong currents. The specimen was sheltering under a large block of dead coral rubble that rested on a moderate, silty sand slope.

Remarks. Apogonichthyoides erdmanni is similar in head markings to the Philippine species A. uninotatus (Smith and Radcliffe in Radcliffe, 1912). The new species has vivid, horizontal dark cheek and post-ocular marks, a small oval spot between the eye and tip of upper preopercular arm, yellowish anal, second dorsal and caudal fins, a narrow basicaudal bar less than 1/3 the length of the caudal peduncle, a vertical bar under the posterior half of the second dorsal-fin base reaching the base of the anal fin, small dark spots on the lower half of the body onto the lower portion of the caudal peduncle and a body spot smaller than the pupil of the eye. Apogonichthyoides uninotatus has a faint diagonal cheek mark, a faint horizontal post-ocular mark, a faint dash between eye and tip of upper preopercular arm, brownish anal, second dorsal and caudal fin, a broad basicaudal bar more than 2/3 the length of the caudal peduncle, a broad body bar as a chevron including all of the second dorsal-fin base reaching the base of the anal fin, no small dark spots on lower half of body and a body spot larger than the pupil of the eye ( Fig. 1 D &E).

Free neuromast patterns have not been described for Apogonichthyoides . Bergman (2004) mentions Apogonichthyoides timorensis in the remarks section of Ostorhinchus , but did not provide illustrations of the species. The free neuromasts were obscured and difficult to see in the new species. Several specimens of Apogonichthyoides taeniatus (UF 29838) had 7+5=12 free neuromast lines on branched caudal fin rays while the single specimen of A. erdmanni had 7+4=11 visible under the microscope.

The dorsal head pore pattern is partially done ( Fig. 2 ), complete for the snout and areas adjacent to the eye, missing the central and posterior areas of the head and nape. No information is presented for the preopercular or posttemporal regions. One larger supraorbital pore is present, a characteristic seen among other apogonids and in those Apogonichthyoides examined to date ( erdmanni , miniatus and umbratilis ), absent in timorensis .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Apogonichthyoides erdmanni, 39.2 mm SL, 51.1 mm TL. A. Fresh, pinned from below, left side, by Mark V. Erdmann. B. Post mortem, right side, by Mark V. Erdmann, lined feature in second dorsal and anal an artifact of wet fins on surface. C. Right side, in 70 % ethyl alcohol by Thomas H. Fraser. Apogonichthyoides uninotatus. D. Live, Coron I., Calamianes Is., Philippines, by G. R. Allen. E. Postmortem buccal male, USNM 395671, 41 mm SL, Apo Reef, Mindoro Occidental, Philippines, by J. T. Williams.

FIGURE 2. Semi-diagrammatic views of the head pore patterns from the holotype of Apogonichthyoides erdmanni. A. Partial view of the supraorbital pores on the left side of the head. B. Partial view of the right side infraorbital pores minus the cheek and preopercle, reversed, and partial view of maxilla. C Ventral view of the left lower jaw. so = supraorbital, io = infraorbital, me = mental, and ar = articular.