Enneapterygius qirmiz, Holleman, Wouter & Bogorodsky, Sergey V., 2012

Holleman, Wouter & Bogorodsky, Sergey V., 2012, A review of the blennioid fish family Tripterygiidae (Perciformes) in the Red Sea, with description of Enneapterygius qirmiz, and reinstatement of Enneapterygius altipinnis Clark, 1980, Zootaxa 3152, pp. 36-60 : 50-52

Enneapterygius qirmiz sp. nov.

Figs. 2 H, 6 & 7; table 1

Enneapterygius sp.1 Clark, 1980: 101, Figs. 3 c & 12, Gulf of Aqaba, Ras Muhammad and Ethiopia. Enneapterygius sp.: Debelius, 1998: 174; Lieske & Myers, 2004: 177.

Enneapterygius obscurus non Clark, 1980: Holleman, 2005: 15, Fig. 13, Plate 2A.

Holotype. SMF 33093, male 16.9 mm SL; Uqban, Kamaran Island, Red Sea, Yemen (15°28.893' N, 42°23.141' E), collected by P.C. Heemstra & Uwe Zajonz, 12 April 1998 (ex SMF 29594).

Paratypes. BPBM 35721 (17.8 mm SL), Parkin Rock, Hanish Group, southern Red Sea (13°37'12" N, 42°48'54" E), collected by J.E. Randall, 18 May 1993; SMF 29357 (11.1 & 15.6 mm SL), Uqban, east coast of Kamaran Island, Red Sea, Yemen (15°31'20" N, 42°22'30" E), collected U. Zajonz, 1 April 1998; SMF 29487 (17.7 mm SL), same data as SMF 29357; SMF 29492 (15.5 & 16.5 mm SL); Kamaran Island, Yemen (15°29.077' N, 42°23'805" E), collected by M. Eisinger, 10 April 1998; SMF 29594 (17.5 mm SL), collected with holotype; SMF 33588 (25.3 mm SL), Al Lith, Saudi Arabia (20°14.965' N, 39°59.621' E), collected S. Bogorodsky, 20 March 2011; SMF 33589 (19.0 mm SL), Al Wajh. Saudi Arabia (26°10.552' N, 36°22.448' E), collected S. Bogorodsky, 10 April 2011; SMF 33590 (18.1 mm SL), Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia (26°10.552' N, 36°22.448' E), collected S. Bogorodsky, 10 April 2011; SMF 33591 (16.9 mm SL), Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia (26°10.552' N, 36°22.448' E), collected S. Bogorodsky, 10 April 2011; SMF 33592 (20.0 mm SL), Rabigh, Saudi Arabia (22°47.123' N, 38° 57.507 E), collected S. Bogorodsky, 0 6 April 2011; NHCY-P1 (17.5 mm SL), Kadaman Isl, Kamaran Archipelago, Yemen (15°34'13" N, 42°32'156" E), collected by U. Zajonz and P.C. Heemstra, 3 April 1998; SAIAB 88720 (14.9 & 16.4 mm SL), Shaab Rumi, Sudan (19°49' N, 37°21' E), depth 8 m, S. Bogorodsky, 10 October 2009; USNM 205805 (6: 12.0–18,7 mm SL); Ras Muhammad, Sinai Peninsula, Red Sea, depth 0–9 m; collected V. G. Springer et al., 16 September 1969.

Non-type material. SAIAB 96002 (16.4 mm SL), Abingdon Reef, Sudan (20°50'N, 37°25'E), depth 14 m, collected S. Bogorodsky, 15 October 2009.

Diagnosis. A small species of Enneapterygius with a maximum recorded SL of 25.3 mm. Dorsal fins III + XII or XIII + 9, anal fin I, 17, pectoral fin 14; first dorsal fin about the same height as the second; nape scaled; both sexes with characteristic oval patch of melanophores on dorsum between third and fourth dorsal-fin spines, males with large rectangular blotch of melanophores and brown pigment on side below posterior of second dorsal fin; red in life, with first dorsal of males crimson in front with golden yellow marks, white behind, base of fin a white patch on dorsum.

Description. Dorsal fins III + XII or XIII + 9; anal fin I, 17 (one of 13 with 18 rays); pectoral fin 14 (rarely 15), upper 2 and lower 6 simple, others divided once. (Clark recorded lower and upper 5 unbranched). LL with 8–10 pored scales followed two scale rows lower by 22 notched scales, some specimens with 8 pored scales followed by 2 notched scales in anterior series; total lateral scales about 33, with single row of scales at base of caudal fin; transverse scales 2/5. Vertebrae 10 precaudal + 23 (2 of 13 with 24) caudal, including urostyle. Dentary pores 2 + 2 + 2 ( Fig. 2 H). Head length 3.1–3.7 (3.4) in SL; eye 2.3–2.7 (2.6) in head length.

Nape scaled, belly naked; eye relatively large, orbital cirrus a rounded flap, its length equal to orbit diameter. First dorsal fin of males about same height as second, a little lower than second in females. Pectoral fins long, longest ray reaching to first spine of third dorsal fin; pelvic-fin rays not united by membrane, longest ray reaching first anal-fin ray. Supratemporal canal a broad, flat ‘U’-shape rather than a crescent. Mouth small and ‘pointed’, maxilla reaching vertical though anterior margin of pupil.

Colour. Males (from underwater photographs by Helmut Debelius and the second author) body translucent, scales with double, crimson-red line on edge, except for black borders to scales immediately below end of second dorsal fin forming an indistinct narrow, oblique bar, anterior to which is large, rectangular patch of scattered melanophores extending from just below the dorsal fin almost to the base of the anal fin. Some specimens with another cluster of scattered melanophores anterior to main blotch. Nape and opercle deep crimson; deep crimson blotch on mid-side below first two or three spines of second dorsal fin; crimson blotches along vertebral column and along base of anal fin; preanal triangular cluster of melanophores present in large specimens; head red above and pale below, iris crimson, with a thin whitish ring around the iris, and with white patches behind and between eyes, orbital cirri yellow, nasal cirri red, red on lips. First dorsal fin with a broad, inverted deep red triangle, apex at base of first spine, with golden yellow marks, remainder of fin white as is base of fin and a narrow ‘saddle’ extending from base of first spine nearly to base of fourth spine; second dorsal-fin membranes transparent with red on spines, and with black and white spots along margin and at base, and a narrow line of melanophores along margin which continues onto body as black spots on scale margins; third dorsal fin similar; caudal fin with crimson lines on edges of rays; anal fin rays crimson and patches of black and red spots on membranes; pectoral-fin base with patch of crimson spots anteriorly and white spots below, rays red with patches of bright white spots.

Live colour of females unknown, but probably also crimson, but without the blotch of melanophores on the side and conspicuously coloured first dorsal fin.

Body of preserved fishes pale yellow, males with large blotch of melanophores on side below pectoral fin, line of scale pockets outlined in black extending from posterior end of third dorsal fin to midline and oval patch of melanophores on dorsum between third and fourth dorsal-fin spines, patch of melanophores on peduncle just behind end of third dorsal fin; small pre-anal patch of melanophores; some clusters of melanophores on anal fin.

Key features. Translucent crimson; first dorsal fin lower than second, red anteriorly with yellow marks, white posteriorly and with bright white patch on dorsum at base of fin; narrow line of melanophores along margin of second dorsal fin which continues onto body as black spots on scale margins; males with broad patch of melanophores on side below second dorsal fin.

Etymology. ‘Qirmiz’ is the Arabic word for deep red or crimson, and is given for the colour of the species. It is used as a noun in apposition.

Comparisons. As can be seen from Table 1 , there is little variation in morphometric characters between species of Enneapterygius . Three species tend to have 17 anal-fin rays: E. altipinnis , E. obscurus and E. qirmiz . The first has a tall first dorsal fin and the characteristic black blotch on the second dorsal fin; the last two species are both red in colour, but males of E. qirmiz have a very characteristic red, white and yellow first dorsal fin, and E. obscurus an intense black spot on the upper caudal peduncle. These two species can also be separated on LL scale counts, E. qirmiz with 9 pored scales in the anterior series and E. obscurus with 10–12.

Distribution. Clark’s original specimens were collected in the Gulf of Aqaba, at Ras Mohammad and Ethiopia. The types here described were collected in similar localities as well as off Yemen, suggesting the species is widespread, though not common in the Red Sea.

Remarks. Debelius’ photographs in Red Sea Reef Guide (1998) were incorrectly identified as E. obscurus by Holleman (2005). The species is found in environments very similar to those of E. obscurus . However, in comparison with other Enneapterygius spp. which are mostly known from shallow coastal waters, this species is surprisingly common on some isolated reefs far from the coast, for example, on the isolated Abingdon Reef located about 20 km from the coast, where no other triplefins were seen.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Dentary pore patterns of Red Sea species of Enneapterygius: (A) E. abeli; (B) E. altipinnis; (C) E. clarkae; (D) E. destai; (E) E. obscurus; (F) E. pallidus (diagrammatic - J. T. Williams); (G) E. pusillus; (H) E. qirmiz; (I) E. ventermaculus.

FIGURE 3. Enneapterygius altipinnis, M (A) grey form; (B) green form. Photos by S. V. Bogorodsky.