cliff flathead

description

Description. Counts and measurements shown in Table 2. Data for all specimens presented first, followed by holotype condition in parentheses. Interorbit and occipital region scaled; snout and area anteroventral to eye scaled or naked (unclear in holotype), lower half of suborbital region naked. Interorbit narrower than orbital diameter. Upper iris lappet simple, triangular; lower simple, weakly convex. Nasal, preorbital and supplementary preopercular spines absent. Suborbit al spines usually absent; one suborbital spine present below posterior margin of eye in some specimens 176 mm SL or smaller. Ridges and spines absent on supraoccipital. Lower preopercular spine longer than upper, not reaching opercular margin; ratio of lower / upper spines 1.6 – 2.2 (> 2), tending to become larger with growth (lower spine becoming relatively longer than upper). Distinct interopercular flap absent, although small flap sometimes present (on left side only); margin of interopercle smooth. Maxilla reaching beyond anterior margin of eye. Anterior portion of upper jaw with some large conical or small caniniform (small caniniform) teeth medially. Palatine teeth irregularly arranged in three to nine (ca

Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus Platycephalus Bloch, 1785 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A species of Platycephalus with the following combination of characters: second dorsal- and analfin rays usually 14; pored lateral-line scales 70 – 82; gill rakers 4 – 6 + 13 – 16 = 17 – 22; a distinct interopercular flap absent; ratio of lower / upper preopercular spines 1.6 – 2.2; ridge and spine absent on supraoccipital; upper jaw without large caniniform teeth; many small dark dots on dorsal surface of head and body; caudal fin with a single large irregular blackish or dark brown marking, or two longitudinal dark brown or black spots posteroventrally.

Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus Platycephalus Bloch, 1785 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species

discussion

Remarks. Among the other species of Platycephalus usually characterized by 14 second dorsal- and anal-fin rays (P. laevigatus, P. grandispinis, P. speculator, P. caeruleopunctatus, P. conatus, P. aurimaculatus and P. richardsoni), P. bassensis is most similar to P. grandispinis in having a somewhat longer lower preopercular spine (extremely long in P. grandispinis), the caudal fin with a single large irregular blackish or dark brown marking, or two longitudinal dark brown or black spots posteroventrally (a single irregular blackish or dark brownish marking in P. grandispinis), and in lacking a distinct interopercular flap, the combination of these characters not occurring in the remaining six species. The present species is easily separable from P. grandispinis in lacking a ridge and spine on the supraoccipital (vs. ridge present on supraoccipital, usually ending in a spine) and having many small dark dots on the dorsal surface of the head and body (vs. dots absent). The ratio of lower / upper preopercular spines may also help distinguish P. bassensis from P. grandispinis (ratio 1.6 – 2.2 in P. bassensis vs. 1.9 – 3.3 in P. grandispinis; see also Imamura, 2013 b: fig. 10). Although

Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus Platycephalus Bloch, 1785 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species

distribution

Distribution. Known from southeastern Australia, from Red Rock, NSW (29 ° 59 ’ S), to the Great Australian Bight, SA (131 ° 24 ’ – 25 ’ E), including Vic and Tas, occurring in bays and inlets and on the continental shelf in depths from 15 to ca. 100 m (e. g., Last et al., 1983; May & Maxwell, 1986; Hoese et al., 2006; this study). Size. The largest specimen recorded during the present study was 418 mm SL (483 mm TL), exceeding the previously reported maximum length of 401 mm SL (460 mm TL) (May & Maxwell, 1986). Holotype 5 specimens, including Non-types MNHN 1437 4 syntypes of P. tasmanius n = 21 SL (mm) 233 170 – 303 * 137 – 418 Counts: * Including one specimen with damaged snout and SL unmeasured.

Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus Platycephalus Bloch, 1785 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species