Colletteichthys occidentalis, Greenfield, David W., 2012

Greenfield, David W., 2012, Colletteichthys occidentalis, a new Toadfish Species from the Arabian Peninsula and Northern Arabian Sea (Teleostei: Batrachoididae), Zootaxa 3165, pp. 64-68 : 65-67

Colletteichthys occidentalis n. sp.

Arabian toadfish

( Figs. 3–4 )

Holotype. BPBM 29525, 117.2 mm SL, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Bahrain harbor, O.B. Schulmberger, 14 Nov. 1983. Paratypes. BPBM 30509, 147.8 mm, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, 26°8’20”N, 50°43’20”E, reef, 23 m, spear, J.E. Randall, 21 June 1984; BPBM 33302, 48.1 mm, Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Jana Island, reef flat, sand and rubble, 1.5 m, rotenone, J.E. Randall et al., 13 September 1985; BPBM 33398 (3), 37.0– 92.5 mm, Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Half Moon Bay, silty sand near pilings at end of pier, 6.1–9.1 m, rotenone, J.E. Randall et al., 17 September 1985; BPBM 41090, 89.2 mm, taken with holotype; BPBM 21485, 61.0 mm, Persian Gulf, Quatar, Aliyah Island, north of Doha, 2–3 m, rotenone, J.E. Randall et al., 25 March 1977; USNM 147913 (6), 66.7–135.8 mm, Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Tarut Bay, Zaal Island, May–June 1948, D. Erdman; CAS 233656, 92.3 mm, collected with USNM 147913.

Other material examined. Colletteichthys occidentalis - USNM 333281, Pakistan, USNM 333284, Kutach, India, USNM 147915, Bahrain, USNM 196473, Saudi Arabia. Colletteichthys dussumieri – MNHN A. 4715 and A. 4748, syntypes; CAS 23719, Malabar, India; CAS 29743, Cochin, India; CAS 233658, Cochin, India; AMS B. 8112, Malabar, India; AMS B. 8113, Malabar, India.

Diagnosis. A species of Colletteichthys with a single tentacle located above the posterior portion of the eye, dorsal-fin rays usually 19, anal-fin rays usually 15, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins gray with distinct white markings.

Description. Dorsal-fin elements III- 20 (19–20, usually 19); anal-fin rays 15 (14–15, almost always 15); pectoral-fin rays 22 (22–24, usually 22) ( Table 1); pelvic-fin elements I,2; vertebrae 28 including terminal centrum; head length 36.0 (36.0–42.1, 39.5); head width 29.5 (29.4–33.5, 30.8); head depth 22.9 (21.1–25.2, 23.9); bony interorbital width 5.0 (2.8–5.9, 4.3); fleshy interorbital width 6.1 (3.4–8.3, 5.6); orbit diameter 8.4 (6.4–12.2, 9.1); snout length 7.8 (5.1–7.8, 6.6); upper jaw length 20.3 (19.9–23.0, 21.0); mouth width at rictus 17.3 (17.3–24.9, 21.4); first predorsal-fin distance 38.7 (34.4–42.0, 38.0); second predorsal-fin distance 48.5 (47.2–54.6, 49.7); preanal-fin distance 61.8 (56.9–65.6, 62.0); greatest body depth 24.6 (21.5–29.8, 24.5); caudal-peduncle depth 9.1 (8.2–10.1, 9.4); caudal-peduncle length 7.6 (6.4–9.5, 8.1); first dorsal-fin base length 11.6 (8.7–12.5, 8.1); second dorsal-fin base length 48.8 (45.1–51.3, 48.6); anal-fin base length 28.9 (28.9–32.6, 31.0); caudal-fin length 22.0 (21.5–25.8, 22.9); pectoral-fin length 21.7 (21.1–25.7, 23.2); pelvic-fin length 29.6 (23.3–32.4, 27.4); distance between pelvic-fin bases 8.0 (5.3–8.7, 7.4).

Dorsal-fin rays Anal-fin rays Pectoral-fin rays 19 20 15 16 20 21 22 23 24 C. occidentalis 9 4 12 1 10 2 1 C. dussumieri 2 2 1

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 flatps; the upper one with 39 pores (32–39) originating above opercle, running posteriorly in a straight line to the caudal peduncle; middle lateral line with three (3–6) scattered pores along midline of side; lower line with 6 (0–29) pores, running from under pectoral-fin base along anal-fin base to end of anal fin. Caudal peduncle with three pores on upper, three pores on lower, and one at center of caudal-fin base. 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, six 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 multi-fid tentacle, about equal in length to the pupil diameter above eye posterior to pupil. Posterior nostrils relatively large oval openings, anterior nostrils adjacent and 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. Four pores with flaps just above end of maxilla. Ventral margin of dentary with numerous cirri.

Color of freshly collected holotype ( Fig. 3 ). Background color of head and body light tan, overlaid with dark brown, black and white markings. A dark brown band with some black dorsally crosses the caudal peduncle. The caudal-fin base posterior to the band with a distinct white bar. A second similar dark band crosses the body at the anal-fin center. A third Y-shaped band is anterior to the second: One arm of the Y extends up and then forward from the anal-fin origin; the center of the Y is on the midline of the body at the end of the pectoral fin; the anterior arm of the Y extends down and forward under the pectoral fin; and the stem of the Y extends from the midline up to the anterior half of the second dorsal fin. Area between these bands on the side light tan to white. A dark bar crosses the back through the first dorsal fin. Top and sides of head with dark mottling. A dark band crossing the head behind the eyes and the snout is dark, leaving the interorbital as a light area. A white triangular area under the eye and three white bars on opercle, two over spines and the third below them. Ventral surface of body white. Pelvic fins white, crossed by five tan bars. First dorsal fin black with white on distal areas of spines. Second dorsal fin dark gray with five distinct white lines running at angles across fin. Anal fin dark gray, mottled with irregular white lines. Caudal fin dark gray with scattered white blotches. Pectoral fin tan with irregular white lines radiating out from base to distal edge of fin.

Color of preserved holotype ( Fig. 4 ). Color pattern as in fresh specimen. Background color is tan, white areas are light tan, and bars brown.

Distribution. Known from the Persian Gulf, from Jana Island, Saudia Arabia east to Kutach, India.

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective from the Latin occidentalis (western) referring to this species being the westernmost member of the genus.

Comparisons. The syntypes of Colletteichthys dussumieri each have two tentacles above the eye, the posterior one the largest. Two of the CAS specimens of C. dussumieri from the western coast of India have three tentacles above the eye, the posterior one the largest and the two more anterior ones smaller ( Fig. 5 ), and the third has three on one side and two on the other, the posterior ones also the largest. The specimens from the Cochin, India area usually have three tentacles above the eye (pers. comm. K.K. Bineesh, 2011). All of the C. occidentalis specimens from the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and Kutach, India have only the single larger posterior tentacle.

Remarks. Colletteichthys dussumieri appears to be restricted to the western coast of India from Cochin north at least to the Malabar area. Specimens from the northwestern part of India at Kutach (USNM 147915) are C. occidentalis . Records of C. dussumieri from Sri Lanka do not appear to be that species.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Freshly collected holotype of Colletteichthys occidentalis, BPBM 29525. Photograph by J. E. Randall.

FIGURE 4. Preserved holotype of Colletteichthys occidentalis, BPBM 29525. Photograph by D. W. Greenfield.

FIGURE 5. Eye of Colletteichthys dussumieri (CAS 233658) showing three tentacles above it. Photograph by D. W. Greenfield.