Nectamia ignitops, Fraser, 2008

Fraser, Thomas H., 2008, Cardinalfishes of the genus Nectamia (Apogonidae, Perciformes) from the Indo-Pacific region with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 1691 (1), pp. 1-52 : 23-24

Nectamia ignitops new species

Figures 3F , 8 , 10 , 18 and Tables 2–3, 6

Type material: Holotype BPBM 21897 68.1 mm SL; Malaysia, Tioman I.; J. E. Randall; 2 Aug. 1977; color photograph; x-ray . Paratypes BPBM 38585 ; (4, 61.1–75.0); same data as holotype; x-ray .

Additional material: Thailand: CAS 84064 ; GVF 2168 ; (2, 50–75); Parsho Bay , Rayong Prov.; 21 Apr 1960 . CAS 82649 ; GVF 2646 ; (7, 53–73); Prachuap Khiri Khan; 17 Jun 1961 . CAS 82650 ; GVF 2183 ; (5, 54–79); off Koh Kroi I.; 25 Jun 1968; 15– 60 m. Vietnam: Nha Trang Bay : ROM 73558; (2, 63–63); Hon Mot, 12.1755°N, 109.2781°E; RW02-01; 11 May 2002; 7 m ; color photos. ROM 79173; (3, 58–71); Hon Tom, 12.744°N, 109.23944°E; RW02-20; 13 Jun 2003; 2– 4 m. ROM 79174; (27, 57–73); Hon Lon, 12.1822°N, 109.29361°E; RW02-05; 13 Jun 2003; 4– 8 m. ROM 79175; (20, 15–79); Hon Mot, 12.17694°N, 109.27889°E; RW02-19/21, mixed; 13 Jun 2003; 0– 6 m.

Diagnosis. A Nectamia with two faint dorsal saddles, faint caudal-peduncle band, no pale bars on side of body, and faint cheek mark, caudal fin without dark margins (Tab. 2, Fig. 8 ); 13 pectoral-fin rays; total gill rakers usually 24–27 ( Tab. 6); body depth 44–47%, caudal-peduncle depth 18–20%, second anal-spine length 19–21%, and pectoral-fin length 25–29% of standard length (Tab 3).

Description. For general body shape see Figure 10 . Range of proportions (as percentage of standard length) in Table 3 with paratypes and non-type material in parentheses.

Dorsal fin VII(I)–I,9; anal fin II,8; pectoral-fin 13-13; pelvic fin I,5; principal caudal rays 9+8; pored lateral-line scales 24; transverse scale rows above lateral line 2; transverse scale rows below lateral line 6; median predorsal scales 2; circumpeduncular scale rows 12 (5+2+5); total gill rakers 25 (24–28), well developed 24 (21–25), upper arch 1+6 (0-2+5-6), lower arch 18+0 (17-19+0-1).

Villiform teeth in several rows on the premaxilla; two rows on the dentary; one row on the palatine and vomer; none on ectopterygoid, endopterygoid or basihyal.

Vertebrae 10+14. Five free hypurals, one pair of slender uroneurals, three epurals, a free parhypural. Three supraneurals, two supernumerary spines on first dorsal pterygiophore. Basisphenoid present. Supramaxilla absent. Posttemporal serrate on posterior margin. Preopercle serrate on vertical and horizontal margins. Infraorbital shelf present on third bone. Ctenoid scales on cheek, subopercle, opercle, nape, isthmus, cycloid at base of pectoral fin, ctenoid on rest of body, base of pelvic with two large ctenoid scales, no axillary scale present. Pored lateral-line scales complete, fourth scale variably complex, holotype with two large pores and three small pores above main canal and one large and two small pores below ( Fig 3F ).

Etymology. A combination from the Latin ignitus meaning glowing (of a fire) and the Greek ops meaning eye, referring to the color of the iris. Treated as a noun in apposition.

* = holotype

Life colors. Unknown from underwater photography. From photograph of freshly collected: holotype with a reddish iris; silvery on the side of head and body, a faint subocular cheek mark tannish dorsally, without dark saddles, pale band on anterior caudal peduncle; blackish membrane (distal two thirds) between the third and fourth first dorsal spines, a lighter dusky membrane between the fourth and fifth spines, membranes dusky (darker distal two thirds) between the fifth and seventh spines and dusky between the second and third anal spines; second dorsal fin, anal fin and caudal fins pale.

Preserved color pattern. Holotype ( Fig. 10 , Tab. 2): faint subocular cheek mark as a faint line of melanophores; first dorsal fin without dark membrane between spines 1–4; edges of caudal lobes plain; caudal peduncle without obvious dark bar or spot; no obvious dorsal saddles under the first or second dorsal fin, paler bar-like area on anterior caudal peduncle; stomach and intestine black; roof of mouth and gill arches pale. Paratypes: similar to holotype except smallest paratype with traces of the dorsal saddles and darker band. Juveniles: unknown. Vietnam specimens with a narrow cheek mark, first dorsal fin with dark membrane between spines 1–4; edges of caudal lobes plain; dorsal dark saddles under the first or second dorsal fin; caudal peduncle usually with a complete dark bar; pale area between peduncle bar and second dorsal saddle; stomach and intestine black; roof of mouth blackish with melanophores extending down onto lower gill arch

Distribution. Known from coastal South China Sea ( Fig. 8 ).

Remarks. Recent material (BPBM 21897) from Tioman Island, Malaysia was initially identified as Apogon bandanensis , however, no cheek mark, saddles, or caudal mark were present in the fresh photographs and faint or absent on the preserved holotype and paratypes. A communication from J. E. Randall suggests that the color pattern may have faded prior to photography. Icing fish prior to photography may affect melan- ophore pigment patterns. These specimens were taken with Nectamia luxuria (BPBM 21896). Four other lots, CAS 82649, 82650, 84058, 84064 from Thailand are very similar to the Tioman specimens and are tentatively identified as this species. Several of these Thailand specimens had faint cheek marks and two specimens had a faint caudal-peduncle mark. Additional material from Vietnam (ROM 79173, 79174, 79175) is tentatively identified as this species, Some of this material was similar in color pattern to the Thailand specimens, but one lot suffered from partial dessication and station mixing. None of the other Vietnam specimens examined had bold contrasting color patterns in preservation. Most specimens had a complete caudal band. This species usually has 24–27 total gill rakers versus 26–28 total gill rakers in Nectamia bandanensis . The largest of 69 specimens was 79 mm SL.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Semi-diagrammatic drawings of the fourth lateral line scales from left side of body showing variation in the number of external peripheral pores. A. Nectamia fusca scale removed from body, USNM 139811, 60.2 mm SL. B. Nectamia viria, holotype USNM 319149, 57.4 mm SL, scale on body. C. Nectamia similus, holotype USNM 213123, 44.0 mm SL, scale on body. D. Ostorhinchus fleurieu, USNM 213216, 63 mm SL, scale on body. E. Nectamia luxuria, holotype, USNM 209644, 59.1 mm SL scale on body. F. Nectamia ignitops, holotype BPBM 21897, 68.1 mm SL, scale on body. Scale = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 8. Distribution of the material examined for Nectamia bandanensis and N. ignitops.

FIGURE 10. Nectamia ignitops, holotype, BPBM 21897, 68.1 mm SL, Malaysia, Tioman I., J. E. Randall, 2 Aug. 1977, 6 m.

FIGURE 18. A hypothesis for phylogenetic relationships within Nectamia based characteristics in Tables 12 and 13. One of six best trees retained based on a heuristic search using parsimony was identical to the 50% majority rule consensus of 6664 trees. All 11 characters of equal weight were parsimony-informative. Holapogon maximus was used as an outgroup.