Halicmetus marmoratus Weber, 1913

Ho, Hsuan-Ching & Last, Peter R., 2018, Review of the batfish genus Halicmetus Alcock, 1891 from Australian waters, with descriptions of two new species (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae), Zootaxa 4508 (2), pp. 179-196 : 181-185

Halicmetus marmoratus Weber, 1913

Vernacular name: Marbled Shortnose Seabat

Figures 1 , 2A , 3 ; Tables 1–2

Halicmetus ruber var. marmorata Weber, 1913:567 (Type locality: Madura Sea; syntypes: ZMA 101.893).

Halicmetus ruber (not of Alcock):? Brauer, 1902:327.

Halicmetus reticulatus: Weber & de Beaufort, 1962:239 (in part).?Paxton et al., 2006:653.

Specimens examined. Syntypes . ZMA 101-893 (5, 33.6–60.3), Siboga station 12, Madura Sea, 7°15’S, 115°15.6’E, 289 m, no date . AMS 46 CSIRO

Other material. 61 specimens, 42.0– 82.2 mm SL. AMS I.15984-001 (1, 46.0), 130 km S of Sydney, New South Wales, 34°43’S, 151°12’E, 357 m, 6 Jul. 1971 . AMS I.17861-002 (1, 74.5), off Broken Bay , New South Wales, 33°34’S, 151° 59’E, 411 m, 31 Oct. 1972 . AMS I.17862-011 (2, 74.1–76.7), off Newcastle, New South Wales, 33°10’S, 152°22’E, 366–695 m, 18 Oct. 1972 . AMS I.18794-003 (2, 69.5–69.8), NE of Wollongong , New South Wales, 34°16’S, 151°26’E, 366 m, 8 Aug. 1975 . AMS I.18795-009 (1, 74.6), NE of Wollongong , New South Wales, 34°21’S, 151°24’E, 410 m, 8 Aug. 1975 . AMS I.19104-002 (2, 42.0–71.1), SE of Clarence River , New South Wales, 29°41’S, 153°45’E, 406–413 m, 10 Oct. 1975 . AMS I.20435-008 (1, 44.3), off North Solitary Island , New South Wales, 29°47’S, 153°44’E, 438 m, 2 Aug. 1978 . AMS I.20919-027 (4, 51.6–69.0), NE of Raine Island , 11°35’S, 144°04’E, 420 m, 12 Feb. 1979 . AMS I.22642-001 (2, 37.1–54.4), E of Cape Hawke , New South Wales, 32°07’S, 153°05’E, 448–457 m, 27 Jul. 1981 . AMS I.24019-001 (1, 70.9), Shoalhaven Bight, New South Wales, 35°02’S, 151°07’E, 480–485 m, 25 Nov. 1982 . AMS I.24110-002 (1, 76.4), off North Head , New South Wales, 33°27’S, 152°05’E, 391–402 m, 21 Aug. 1979 . AMS I.24457-001 (3, 76.8–82.2), off Wollongong, New South Wales, 34°19’S, 151°25’E, 443–475 m, 1 Dec. 1983 . AMS I.24822-001 (2, 71.3–77.7), E of Wollongong , New South Wales, 34°38’S, 151°15’E, 348 m, 19 Jul. 1979 . AMS I.28547-001 (6, 55.2–83.0), off Wattamola, New South Wales, 34°14’S, 151°29’E, 375–430 m, 28 Jul. 1987 . AMS I.30414-002 (1, 57.3), E of Entrance , New South Wales, 33°23’S, 151°08’E, 3 Oct. 1979 . AMS I.33436-006 (1, 77.8), 30°18’S, 153°27’E, off Coffs Harbour , New South Wales, 256 m, 7 Sep. 1992 . AMS I.38464-001 (1, 76.4), 35°31’S, 150°43’E, off Brush Island , New South Wales, 322–331 m, 11 Dec. 1996 . AMS I.38469-002 (1, 71.5), off Ulladulla, New South Wales, 33°40’S, 151°52’E, 380–390 m, 17 Sep. 1996 . AMS I.39996-001 (3, 46.0–82.5), off Bermagui, New South Wales, 36°16’S, 150°22’E, 330–402 m, 18 Feb. 2000 . AMS I.40406-001 (1, 72.4), off Bermagui, New South Wales, 36°44’S, 150°20’E, 274–375 m, 22 Jul. 2000 . AMS I.40434-003 (2, 72.9–77.4), E of Bermagui , New South Wales, 36°25’S, 150°21’E, 366–402 m, 30 Aug. 1999 . AMS I.40450-002 (1, 73.0), NE of Montague Island , New South Wales, 36°00’S, 150°00’E, 472 m, 1 Sep. 1999 . AMS I.40477-002 (2, 71.5–75.2), off Montague Is., New South Wales, 36°09’S, 150°24’E, 329–400 m, 12 Oct. 2000 . AMS I.40478-001 (2, 76.8–82.2), NE of Montague Is. , New South Wales, 36°07’S, 150°24’E, 366–421 m, 2 Aug. 2000 . AMS I.40814-002 (1, 72.9), NE of Montague Is. , New South Wales, 36°09’S, 150°24’E, 311–329 m, 28 Feb. 2001 . AMS I.41008-001 (1, 55.6), off Montague Is., New South Wales, 37°07’S, 150°24’E, 310–366 m, 16 Jul. 2001 . CSIRO CA 3195 (1, 60.8), off Sydney , New South Wales, 33°43’S, 151°52’E, 410–420 m, 25 Jan. 1982 . CSIRO H 715-11 (2, 45.3–59.4), S of Saumarez Reef , Queensland, 22°49’S, 154°10’E, 445–450 m, 17 Nov. 1985 . CSIRO H 954-3 (1, 57.8), S of Saumarez Reef , Queensland, 23°12’S, 153°33’E, 399–405 m, 18 Nov. 1985 . CSIRO H 1119-1 (1, 44.1), NW of Saumarez Reef , Queensland, 21°18’S, 153°29’E, 459–462 m, 21 Nov. 1985 . CSIRO H 3937-01 (1, 54.5), SE of Hobart , Tasmania, 43°39’S, 147°53’E, 279–314 m, 20 Mar. 1994 . CSIRO H 4775-06 (1, 80.2), off Sydney , New South Wales, 33°44’S, 151°51’E, 380–388 m, 23 May 1996 . NMMB-P28594 (1, 49.2), removed from CSIRO H 715-11 . NMV A4013 (1, 67.4), 48 km S of Point Hicks, Victoria , 38°15.5’S, 149°18.7’E, 408–446 m, 15 Oct. 1984 . NMV A21622 (1, 56.1), off Greenwell Point , New South Wales, 34°55’S, 151°04’E, 450–468 m, Feb. 1999 . QM I.18523 (1, 57.7), off Rockhampton, Queensland, 22°36’S, 154°14’E, 548.6 m, 4 Oct. 1980 . QM I.15663 (1, 72.3), NE of Raine Island , Queensland, 11°35’S, 144°04’E, 420 m, 12 Feb. 1979 . QM I.21612 (2, 48.9–77.7), Capricorn Group, Queensland, 23°07’S, 153°24’E, 400 m, 6 Sep. 1983 . QM I.23624 (1, 81.1), Euston Reef, Queensland, 16°40’S, 146°16’E, 600 m, 2 Dec. 1986 .

Tentative identification. AMS I.28108-012 (2, 68.3–68.7), Nosy Be , Andilana Beach, Madagascar, western Indian Ocean, 14°43.25’S, 50°56.25’E, 6 Nov. 1988 .

Diagnosis. A species of Halicmetus distinguished by the following combination of characters: disk broad, width 70–81% SL; eye small, orbit diameter 7.7–9.8% SL; interorbit narrow, 6.7–9.0% SL; illicial trough opening elevated; mid-dorsal disk covered with simple spinules and very dense coverage of well-developed, granular, dome-shaped bucklers, easily visible without magnification; belly covered with relatively widely spaced, simple spinules and low multicuspid tubercles; dorsal-fin rays usually present; pectoral-fin rays 11–14 (modally 13); dorsal surface pale greenish or white with pattern of darker dusky cross bars, pattern persistent when preserved; peritoneal membrane pale with sparse pattern of melanophores; distal parts of pectoral, pelvic and anal fins pale.

Description. Proportional measurements of specimens, expressed as percentages of SL, and meristic data are given in Table 1.

Body depressed; disk subtriangular, broader than long, truncated anteriorly; skull slightly elevated when viewed in lateral profile; orbit small, directed laterally rather than dorsally; rostrum a bony plate, usually not extending to mouth and anterior disk margin; illicial cavity entirely under rostrum, its opening triangular in shape, wider than high; nostrils located on each side of lateroventral margins of illicial cavity; esca a fleshy bulb with short filaments on dorsal margin, usually 2, but sometimes up to 6 cirri.

Mouth small, horizontal, slightly curved; lower jaw slightly beyond upper jaw anteriorly; teeth villiform, small, in wide band in both jaws; teeth on vomer and palatines forming quadrangular patches, close together. Fifth ceratobranchials bearing large and elongated tooth plates (tongue teeth, sensu Bradbury 1967, 1980); plates closely attached.

Gill filaments present only on 2nd and 3rd gill arches; 3–4 gill rakers on 2nd gill arch; gill opening small, at dorsal and inner portion of pectoral elbow. Dermal cirri present, associated with lateral line system on disk margin and tail. Pectoral fins at lateral side of disk; pelvic fins on ventral surface, closer to mouth than anus; anal fin on ventromedial surface at mid-length of tail.

Squamation agreeing well with the definition of Ogcocephalus by Bradbury (1980), consisting of close-set tubercles and bucklers, their bases slightly overlapping, forming heavy armour. Numerous simple tubercles covering entire body except for eyes, lips, nostrils, fins, and anus. Larger bucklers on disk margin and tail, usually associated with lateral line system and skeleton; those on dorsal surface of rostrum fused together, forming flat bony plate; small bucklers evenly covered on dorsal surface of body, easily visible without magnification; bucklers on frontal ridge relatively low and small; bucklers or multifid tubercles on ventral surface slightly larger than cooccurring tubercles; bucklers on dorsal surface of tail forming one major row and two irregular lateral rows on each side; two rows of bucklers on ventro-lateral side associated with lateral-line neuromasts, those on ventral surface of tail forming two regular rows.

Lateral line canal system well developed. Supraorbital series 4 or 5; body series 8 or 9; premaxillary series 0; cheek series 6; preopercular series 2; subopercular series 7; dorsolateral branch of subopercular series 3; ventral series 1; tail series 8–11 (mainly 10 or 11).

Colour. Freshly caught specimens with blackish green marble pattern on pinkish yellow background; all fins pale, some with irregular light brown colour; ventral surface pale to pinkish. In preserved specimens, dorsal surface pale with deep gray marble pattern; all fins and ventral surface pale ( Fig. 1B ). Oral cavity pale, with gray on pharynx. Peritoneum pale with pepper dots.

Distribution. Most of specimens examined were from the eastern coast of Australia; one jar with two specimens were collected from Madagascar. The bathymetric range extended from 256 to 695 m, with most specimens taken between 300 and 500 m.

Remarks. Two specimens (CSIRO CA.3195 and H.1119-1) identified in 2003 as being potentially distinct from other material of H. marmoratus have a much longer rostrum that extends well forward of the eyes and forward of the mouth, and have a more strongly sculptured anterior disk margin. The status of these specimens needs further elucidation.

Similarly, two other specimens (AMS I.28108-012) were tentatively identified as the present species but were collected from the Western Indian Ocean, far outside its recognized distributional range. They are nearly identical to H. marmoratus based on morphology. More specimens of both are needed for comparison with verified H. marmoratus .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Halicmetus marmoratus Weber, 1913. A. Original drawing as Halicmetus reticulatus from Weber & de Beaufort, 1962, fig. 55. B. AMS I.24822-001, 1 of 2, 77.7 mm SL, fresh, photo by K. Graham. C. CSIRO H 4775-06, 80.2 mm SL, fresh.

FIGURE 2. Front view of five Halicmetus species. A. H. marmoratus, CSIRO H 954-03, 57.8 mm SL. B. Halicmetus westraliensis sp. nov., CSIRO CA3647, holotype. C. H. drypus sp. nov., holotype. D. H. ruber, WAM P.31798-003, 65.9 mm SL. E. H. reticulatus, CSIRO H 4070-48, 74.7 mm. All preserved specimens, not to scale.

FIGURE 3. Specimen collection sides of Halicmetus marmoratus (blue circles), Halicmetus westraliensis sp. nov. (red triangles) and Halicmetus drypus sp. nov. (yellow square).