Flame Perchlet

description

Description. Dorsal rays X, 14 (14 – 15); dorsal spines 1 – 6 with fleshy white tabs extending beyond tips of spines, longest tab on spine 4; anal rays III, 7, second spine longest and stoutest; pectoral rays 14, all unbranched, middle rays longest and reaching to about base of third anal spine; pelvic fin I, 5; caudal fin with 4 dorsal and 4 ventral procurrent rays, 2 dorsal and 2 ventral unbranched rays, 7 + 6 branched rays; LL incomplete with 17 (16) tubed scales, pitted scales 10 (9); vertical scale rows 28; scales above LL to origin of dorsal fin 2; scales above LL to base of middle dorsal spine 1; scales below LL to origin of anal fin 10; diagonal rows of scales on cheek 4; scales on top of head extending anteriorly to vertical from posterior margin of orbit where single row of mid-dorsal scales continues anteriorly almost to mid-point between eyes and a single row of small scales continues laterally along posterior border of each eye to top of eyes, forming small pair of rounded scaleless areas on top of head between orbits; circumpeduncular scales 14 (16); no scales on chin, maxilla or snout; gill rakers 6 + 13 (holotype with 1 + 8 developed rakers; paratypes with 1 + 6 to

Two new fish species of the subfamily Anthiinae (Perciformes, Serranidae) from the Marquesas

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Dorsal rays X, 14 – 15; dorsal spines 1 – 6 with fleshy white tabs at tips of spines, longest tab on spine 4; pectoral rays 14, all unbranched; LL incomplete with 16 – 17 tubed scales; oblique rows of scales on cheek 4; scales on top of head extending anteriorly to vertical from posterior margin of orbit; no scales on maxilla; preopercle with 8 – 10 small spines along posterior margin and 2 antrorse spines on ventral margin; interopercle with 2 – 3 spines; subopercle with 1 spine; fourth dorsal spine longest; broad, fiery red-orange streak across lower cheek; head and body with irregularly spaced maroon-ringed yellow blotches on a white background; eye-sized, brilliant white saddle on top of caudal peduncle posterior to base of dorsal fin.

Two new fish species of the subfamily Anthiinae (Perciformes, Serranidae) from the Marquesas

discussion

Remarks. Plectranthias flammeus is distinguished from other members of the genus except P. i n e r m i s, P. gardineri (Regan, 1908), P. nanus, P. longimanus (Weber, 1913) and P. winniensis, by having unbranched pectoralfin rays and an incomplete LL with fewer than 25 tubed scales. It differs from P. i n e r m i s (Fig. 3) and P. g a rd i n e r i (Randall & Shimizu 1994) in color and in having two antrorse spines on the lower margin of the preopercle (versus none or one, respectively). The color pattern (Fig. 4) of P. flammeus readily distinguishes it from the barred color patterns of P. longimanus (Fig. 5) and P. nanus (Fig. 6) as well as the generally uniform yellow and pinkish body of P. winniensis (Fig. 7). Its pectoral-fin ray count of 14 overlaps with P. nanus (14 – 16), but differs from P. longimanus (12 – 13) and P. winniensis (16 – 18). Plectranthias flammeus has a pair of small dark oblong spots (red with black centers in life; Fig. 4) on the bases of the middle rays of the caudal fin, whereas P. nanus has a dark, narrow vertical bar (red and black in life; Fig. 6) separated from the body by a pale area. Plectranthias flammeus is known only from the Marquesas Islands, whe

Two new fish species of the subfamily Anthiinae (Perciformes, Serranidae) from the Marquesas

etymology

Etymology. The specific epithet flammeus is from the Latin flammeus, meaning fiery, and refers to the brilliant red and yellow diagonal streak across the lower cheek and the red-yellow-orange blotches on the body. The name is treated as a noun in apposition. The common name, Flame Perchlet, refers to the distinctive flame-like markings on the head and body.

Two new fish species of the subfamily Anthiinae (Perciformes, Serranidae) from the Marquesas