Plectranthias, Bleeker, 1873

Gill, Anthony C. & Psomadakis, Peter N., 2018, Pseudanthias emma new species, with notes on a collection of anthiadine serranid fishes from off Myanmar (eastern Indian Ocean), Zootaxa 4455 (3), pp. 525-536 : 531

Plectranthias sp. 2

Figure 4

A single specimen (90 mm TL) of an unidentified species of Plectranthias was collected, photographed and preserved during the 2015 survey ( Figure 4 ) but subsequently lost during shipping to SAIAB. The specimen was trawled on the 29 May 2015 off the Tanintharyi coast, Myanmar, Andaman Sea (10°2.91’ N, 97°22.78’ E) at a depth of 182 m. It was possible to determine some details from the photographs: dorsal rays X,14 (or 15?), fourth spine longest; dorsal fin not deeply notched between soft and spinous parts of fin; pectoral rays 14, rays unbranched (possibly branched at very tips of middle few rays?); caudal fin emarginate with upper rays produced; lateral-line complete with 29 scales; scales below lateral line to anal-fin origin ca 11; pelvic fins short, well short of anus. These details and the live coloration are similar to P. alcocki Bineesh, Akhilesh, Gopalakrishnan & Jena (2014) , which was recently described from two specimens collected in the Arabian Sea off the south-west coast of India in 180– 320 m. However, the Myanmar specimen differs from the P. alcocki type specimens in several live coloration details, most notably in lacking a large black spot on the operculum and a dusky spot ventrally on the abdomen. We therefore assume that it represents an undescribed species.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Plectranthias sp. 2, 90 mm TL, off the Tanintharyi coast, Myanmar, Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean, specimen lost. Photo by Oddgeir Alvheim.