Dendrochirus hemprichi

Ditty, James G., Malca, Estrella & Vásquez-Yeomans, Lourdes, 2024, The lionfishes: Comparative development of Pterois volitans, Dendrochirus barberi, and D. hemprichi (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae: Pteroinae) and discrimination of their early life stages from non-pteroine scorpaenid genera in the Western North Atlantic, Zootaxa 5446 (1), pp. 1-41 : 16

Dendrochirus hemprichi : general morphology

We examined images of two transforming larvae of D. hemprichi , one from Baldwin (2013: 540, fig. 40E) labeled D. brachypterus , and an 11.0 mm larva from the Red Sea ( Fig. 5a–b ). These larvae were not available for examination and measurement; therefore, the following description of general morphology applies to the 21.0 mm juvenile only ( Fig. 5c ). Head length 38% SL; OD about 1.5 times wider than snout. PPO-1 length 25% OD ( Table 2), and two times longer than PPO-2 through -5. Upper jaw terminates slightly beyond mid-orbit; maxilla swollen near its posterior margin. Preanal length 67% SL; BDc 43% SL; CP depth 36% BDc; CP length 75% of its depth; maximum width of pectoral-fin base 39% BDc ( Table 2). Seven BR.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Dendrochirus hemprichi. A. transforming larva captured in the Red Sea estimated to be about 11.0 mm standard length (SL); B. dorsal view, same larva. C. juvenile D. hemprichi (21.0 mm SL) captured off South Sail Rock Channel, Kenya (LACM 31619.017).