Pteroidichthys noronhai ( Fowler, 1938 )

Motomura, Hiroyuki & Kanade, Yuka, 2015, Review of the scorpionfish genus Pteroidichthys (Scorpaenidae), with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 4057 (4), pp. 490-510 : 492-495

Pteroidichthys noronhai ( Fowler, 1938)

[New English name: Noronha’s Scorpionfish; new Japanese name: Shinonome-tsunokasago] ( Figures 1 A–B, 3A, 4–6; Table 1)

Pteropelor noronhai Fowler, 1938: 78 , fig. 34 (type locality: vicinity of Hong Kong).

Holotype. USNM 98892, 32.2 mm SL, vicinity of Hong Kong, 21°33′N, 116°13′E, 100 m depth, RV Albatross, 4 Nov. 1908.

Paratype. USNM 99009, 35.7 mm SL, vicinity of Hong Kong, 21°33′N, 116°13′E, 183 m depth, RV Albatross, 4 Nov. 1908.

Other material examined. 41 specimens, 14.5–55.6 mm SL. Japan: BSKU 116331, 39.5 mm SL, Tosa Bay, Kochi, 33°17′–18′N, 133°38′–39′E, 132 m, RV Toyohata-maru, 10 May 1990; FAKU 73099, 55.6 mm SL, East China Sea, 90 m, U. Yamada, 23 Oct. 2004; FAKU 88511, 51.2 mm SL, East China Sea, 29°57′–59′N, 126°28′– 29′E, 90 m, RV Yoko-maru, 23 Oct. 2004; OMNH-P 3052, 37.6 mm SL, off Hamasaka, Hyogo, Sea of Japan, T. Suzuki, 10 Sept. 1993; KAUM –I. 39584, 52.9 mm SL, East China Sea, 27°09′30ʺN, 123°38′26ʺE, 110 m, M. Okamoto, 16 May 2011. Vietnam: BSKU 17281, 38.8 mm SL, 498 km south of Ho Chi Minh, 06°51′06ʺN, 108°47′02ʺ–48′09ʺE, 135–137 m, 10–11 July 1972. Philippines: ASIZP 67792, 44.2 mm SL, Casiguran, Aurora, 16°04′44ʺN, 121°57′30ʺE, Y.-C. Liao & K.-T. Shao, 20 May 2007; MNHN 2003-2409, 10, 36.8–48.9 mm SL, east of Caluya, Semirara I., 12°03′00″N, 121°28′59ʺE, 120–123 m, RV Coriolis, 4 June 1985. Western Australia: AMS I. 22832-011, 33.3 mm SL, north of Port Hedland, 117 m, J. Paxton & M. McGrouther; BSKU 16981, 28.6 mm SL, BSKU 16982, 25.8 mm SL, southeast of Ashmore and Cartier Is., 12°36′00ʺ–37′03ʺS, 124°33′09ʺ– 36′04ʺE, 74–78 m, 25 June 1972; CSIRO H 1065-04, 47.3 mm SL, northwest of Dampier Archipelago, 19°25′S, 116°09′E, 139 m, FRV Soela, 4 Oct. 1987; CSIRO H 1130-02, 26.3 mm SL, northeast of Port Hedland, 19°04′S, 119°00′E, 81 m, FRV Soela, 13 Feb. 1983; CSIRO H 3409-05, 4, 31.5–33.6 mm SL, north of Delambre Island, 19°59′S, 117°03′E, 52 m, FRV Soela, 5 Sept. 1983; CSIRO H 3492-04, 14.5 mm SL, northwest of Port Hedland, 19°45′S, 117°52′E, 52 m, FRV Soela, 2 Sept. 1983; CSIRO H 3759-03, 7, 21.4–36.8 mm SL, north of Legendre I., 20°01′S, 116°57′E, 52 m, FRV Soela, 22 Feb. 1983; CSIRO H 3813-02, 38.5 mm SL, north of Geographe Shoals, 19°43′S, 117°54′E, 52 m, FRV Soela, 2 Sept. 1983; CSIRO H 6120-02, 2, 30.2–30.8 mm SL, north of Port Hedland, 19°04′S, 118°47′E, 81 m, FRV Soela, 27 Apr. 1983; NMV A 29660 -010, 24.4 mm SL, Dampier Archipelago, 19°47′16ʺ–22ʺS, 115°28′20ʺ–29′01ʺE, 90–108 m, FRV Southern Surveyor, 12 June 2007; NMV A 29711 -008, 30.5 mm SL, northwest of Lacepede I., 15°47′29ʺ–56ʺS, 121°03′13ʺ–32ʺE, 113–119 m, FRV Southern Surveyor, 1 July 2007. Vanuatu: MNHN 1998-0215, 24.5 mm SL, southeast of Port Olry, Sanma, 15°04′01ʺS, 167°07′01ʺE, 163–165 m, RV Alis, 7 Oct. 1994; MNHN 1998-0227, 2, 30.1– 32.2 mm SL, Tutuba, Sanma, 15°36′S, 167°16′01ʺE, 182–215 m, RV Alis, 5 Oct. 1994.

Holotype of Paratype of Non-types of

Pteropelor noronhai Pteropelor Pteroidichthys

USNM 98892 noronhai noronhai

USNM 99009 n = 41

Standard length (mm) 32.1 35.7 14.5–55.6

Meristics Modes Dorsal-fin rays XII, 9 XII, 9 XII, 8– 9 XII, 9 ......continued on the next page Diagnosis. A species of Pteroidichthys with the following combination of characters: anal fin with 3 spines and 5 soft rays; dorsal-fin spines rigid; snout relatively short, its length 13.5–16.9% (mean 15.3%) of SL, shorter than postorbital length; posterior margin of maxilla reaching to or extending beyond vertical through middle of pupil; distance between tips of lateral lacrimal and first suborbital spines shorter than or subequal to that between tips of first and second suborbital spines; supplemental preopercular spine present; tentacles on supraocular and posterior lacrimal spines poorly developed, their lengths usually less than (rarely longer than) orbit diameter; few tentacles on trunk and fins; lateral lacrimal and suborbital spines well developed, with pointed tips; no distinct black blotch on anterodistal part of soft-rayed portion of dorsal fin.

Distribution. Known from the Indo-West Pacific. Pteroidichthys noronhai was recorded in this study from Japan, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Vanuatu, and Western Australia ( Fig. 6 ). Mandrytsa (2002) and Chen & Liu (1984) recorded this species as Pteropelor noronhai from the Saya de Malha Bank in the western central Indian Ocean and Taiwan respectively. This species was collected from sandy bottoms in depths of 50– 215 m.

Remarks. Although an increasing number of soft rays in the pelvic fin become branched in P. amboinensis with growth (see Remarks of P. amboinensis ), almost all soft rays in P. noronhai are branched throughout life, at least in specimens exceeding 14.5 mm SL. The tips of the nasal spines of P. amboinensis are exposed when young, but become embedded in skin with growth and the lateral lacrimal spine develops from a ridge with growth (see Remarks of P. amboinensis ). In contrast, the nasal and lateral lacrimal spines in P. noronhai are well exposed and developed throughout life.

Pteroidichthys noronhai is easily distinguished from P. amboinensis and P. caussei by having three spines and five soft rays in the anal fin (vs. 2 spines and 6 rays in the latter) and the supplemental preopercular spine present (vs. spine absent). Detailed comparisons of P. noronhai with P. acutus and P. amboinensis are given under Remarks of the latter two species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Species of Pteroidichthys with three spines and five soft rays in the anal fin. A: P. noronhai, USNM 98892, holotype, 32.2 mm SL; B: P. noronhai, MNHN 2003 - 2409, 48.9 mm SL; C: P. acutus n. sp., MNHN 2001 - 2851, holotype, 38.7 mm SL; D: P. acutus n. sp., ASIZP 68097, paratype, 36.6 mm SL.

FIGURE 6. Distributional records of species of Pteroidichthys on the basis of specimens examined during this study. Circles, P. noronhai; stars, P. acutus n. sp.; triangles, P. amboinensis; diamonds, P. caussei n. sp. Literature records from the Indian Ocean (P. noronhai in the Saya de Malha Bank; P. amboinensis in the Red Sea and India) were omitted.