Plectranthias grahami

description

Description. Dorsal rays X, 15, all segmented rays branched; anal rays III, 7, all segmented rays branched; pectoral rays 18 / 18, upper ray unbranched; pelvic fin I, 5, all segmented rays branched; upper procurrent caudal-fin rays 8; lower procurrent caudal-fin rays 7; principal caudal-fin rays 9 + 8; branched caudal fin rays 8 + 7; total caudal-fin rays 32; lateral line complete with 41 / 42 scales; scales above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 5 / 5; scales above lateral line to base of fifth dorsal spine 3 / 3; scales below lateral line to origin of anal fin 15 / 16; diagonal rows of scales on cheek 9; predorsal scales 42, extending to upper lip; circumpeduncular scales 18; gill rakers 6 + 13, the upper 4 and lower 2 rudiments; pseudobranchial filaments 19; branchiostegal rays 7. Vertebrae 10 + 17; supraneurals 3; predorsal formula 0 / 0 + 0 / 2 / 1 + 1; dorsal pterygiophores in interneural spaces 9 – 13 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 + 1 / 1 + 1; 0 trisegmental pterygiophores associated with dorsal fin; terminal dorsal pterygiophore in interneural space 18; 2 trisegmental pterygiophores associated with anal fin; terminal anal pterygiophore in interhaemal space 5; ribs present on vertebrae

Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species

diagnosis

Diagnosis. The following combination of characters distinguishes P. grahami from all congeners: dorsal rays X, 15; pectoral rays 18; lateral-line scales 41 – 42; and gill rakers 6 + 13.

Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species

discussion

Comparisons. Plectranthias grahami has a relatively high number of lateral-line scales, which is approached or equalled by only a handful of species: P. kelloggi from the Hawaiian Ridge and southern Emperor Seamount Chain with 34 – 38; P. randalli Fourmanoir & Rivaton, 1980 from the Chesterfield Islands, Sulawesi and Taiwan with 37 – 39; P. taylori Randall, 1980 from the Phoenix Islands with 40 – 41; P. exsul Heemstra & Anderson, 1983 from the Juan Fernández Islands with 40 – 46; P. parini Anderson & Randall, 1991 from Easter Island and the Sala y Gómez Ridge with 37 – 40; and P. nazcae Anderson, 2008 from the Nazca Ridge with 36 – 42. Plectranthias grahami is distinguished from: P. kelloggi in having more pectoral rays (18 versus 14 – 16) and different head scalation (mandible without scales versus with scales); P. randalli in having fewer segmented dorsal rays (15 versus 16 – 17) and more pectoral rays (18 versus 14); P. taylori in having fewer segmented dorsal rays (15 versus 18), more pectoral rays (18 versus 14) and different ornamentation of the ventral ridge of the preopercle (four weak crenulations versus two broad antrorse spines); P. exsul in having more pectoral rays (18

Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species

distribution

Habitat and distribution. Known only from the holotype, trawled in 457 – 485 m off Bulli, New South Wales, Australia (Figure 9).

Review of Australian species of Plectranthias Bleeker and Selenanthias Tanaka (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae), with descriptions of four new species