Phillip C. Heemstra

Two New Species of Western Atlantic Anthias (Pisces: Serranidae), Redescription of A. asperilinguis and Review of Holanthias martinicensis

Two new species closely related to Anthias asperilinguis are described, A. asperilinguis is redescribed and Holanthias martinicensis is reviewed. One of the new species occurs off southeastern United States; the other, off South America from northeastern Brazil (south of the equator) to Uruguay. Anthias asperilinguis ranges from the southern Caribbean off Venezuela to northeastern Brazil (just north of the equator). Holanthias martinicensis is known from North Carolina to southern Brazil (including Bermuda, West Indies, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea). Western Atlantic Anthias is characterized and a key to western Atlantic species of Anthias and Holanthias martinicensis is presented. The nominal species A. duplicidentatus and A. louisi are relegated to the synonymy of Holanthias martinicensis. The enigmatic Serranus tonsor (known only from the brief original description) is considered unidentifiable.

Taxonomic Review of the Western Indian Ocean Species of the Genus Acanthopagrus Peters, 1855 (Perciformes: Sparidae), with Description of a New Species from Oman

Abstract The taxonomy of the Western Indian Ocean species of Acanthopagrus is reviewed. A new species, A. omanensis, is illustrated and described from two specimens. Acanthopagrus vagus (Peters, 1852) is resurrected from the synonymy of Acanthopagrus berda (Forsskål, 1775), redescribed, and compared with A. berda. Acanthopagrus vagus differs from all congeners in the following combination: scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 3; front edge of dorsal scaly area on head with a median W-shaped scaleless area anteriorly; second anal-fin spine longer than third anal-fin spine; ventral edge of first two infraorbitals straight (slightly curved in fish more than 25 cm SL); preopercle flange with 0–6 scales, number increasing with growth, scales obvious on fish more than 20 cm SL; anal fin with pale rays, and a black streak near the base on each inter-radial membrane; molariform teeth well developed on both jaws. Acanthopagrus berda is differentiated from all congeners by the following combination: scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 3; anterior head profile slightly convex, front edge of dorsal scaly area of head convex, with small scales anteriorly; ventral edge of first two infraorbitals with a strongly curved concavity that receives the enlarged tip of the maxilla in fish larger than 13 cm SL; no scales on preopercle flange; second anal-fin spine clearly longer than third anal-fin spine; anal fin almost completely black (no pale rays); molariform teeth well developed, lower jaw teeth rows strongly curved laterally at rear of jaw. Acanthopagrus omanensis, new species, is discernible from all congeners by the following combination: scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 5; front edge of dorsal scaly area on head forming an obtuse angle anteriorly; ventral edge of first two infraorbitals straight; no scales on preopercle flange; second anal-fin spine slender and subequal to third anal-fin spine; dorsal and caudal fins with wide black margins; upper and lower molariform teeth poorly developed. Junior synonyms of A. berda and A. vagus are discussed, with notes on other congeners, including nominal species of Sparidentex, which are sometimes confused with species of Acanthopagrus. A key to species of Acanthopagrus from the Western Indian Ocean is presented.

Anthias conspicuus sp. nova (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Indian Ocean, with Comments on Related Species

Anthias conspicuus, a sexually dichromatic, new species is described from the Indian Ocean. Anthias boulengeri is proposed as a substitute name for the junior homonym Anthias formosus Boulenger. Anthias evansi Smith is assigned to the genus Mirolabrichthys and compared with M. tuka and M. dispar. A synopsis of diagnostic characters of valid species plus a list of nominal species of Anthias which have been described or reported from the Indo-Western Pacific region are presented.

Gerres phaiya: A new species of gerreid fish (Teleostei: Perciformes: Gerreidae) from India, with comments on Gerres poieti and the Gerres erythrourus complex

Abstract Two species of gerreid fishes have been confused under the name Gerres poieti Cuvier, 1829, a name originally assigned to the gerreid fish from Indonesia illustrated and named “ikan-poeti” in Renard, 1719. A year later, Cuvier published a description of Gerres poeti (incorrect subsequent spelling) based on a 150 mm SL fish from Mahé, southwest coast of India, which he stated was the same species as Renards ikan poeti. Iwatsuki et al. recognized Renards fish as Gerres longirostris (Lacepède, 1801); consequently, Gerres poieti Cuvier, 1829, becomes a synonym of G. longirostris. Despite several discrepancies between Cuviers description of the Indian fish and Renards illustration of ikan poeti, the name poieti (or poeti) has been used as the valid name for both G. longirostris and an undescribed species from the southwest coast of India. The Indian species misidentified as Gerres poeti (sic) by Cuvier in 1830 is here described as a new species, Gerres phaiya, of the Gerres erythrourus species complex. This new species is characterized by an exceptionally robust second anal fin spine (ratio of greatest width of second spine/greatest width of third spine = 1.5–2.4), three supraneural bones (0/0+0/2/), dorsal fin with nine spines and 10 rays, 36–40 lateral line scales, four or 4.5 scales between fifth dorsal fin spine base and lateral line, 12–15 total gill rakers on first gill arch, caudal fin lobes rounded posteriorly, body depth 46–52% SL, and the silvery body often with 6–10 dusky vertical bars. Additional data are given for G. erythrourus (Bloch, 1791).

Taxonomic Notes on Some Triglid and Peristediid Fishes (Pisces: Scorpaeniformes) from Southern Africa

, AND F. H. BERRY. 1965. Recent studies on the needlefishes (Belonidae): An evaluation. Copeia 1965:386-392. 1, AND N. V. PARIN. 1970. Needlefishes (Belonidae) of the eastern Atlantic. Atlantide Rep. 11:7-60. S , AND . 1978. Five new species of halfbeaks (Hemiramphidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 91:731-747. DISLER, N. N. 1960. Sensory organs of the lateral line system and their importance in fish behavior. Inst. Morf. Zhivot., Akademii Nauk SSSR, Moscow: 309 p. (in Russian). Trans. TT 70-54021. GIBBS, R. H., JR., AND J. C. STAIGER. 1970. Eastern tropical Atlantic flying fishes of the genus Cypselurus (Exocoetidae). Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Univ. Miami 4:432-466.

A New Gerreid Fish Species and Redescription of Gerres maldivensis Regan, 1902 from the Indian Ocean (Perciformes: Gerreidae)

Abstract A new gerreid fish species, Gerres mozambiquensis, is described on the basis of a holotype and one paratype from Larde Estuary, southern Nampura, Mozambique. The species is characterized by the following unique combination of characters: relatively deep body (greatest depth 46–47% SL); robust second anal-fin spine (greatest width of second spine/greatest width of third spine  =  1.7–1.8); three supraneural bones configuration (0/0/0+2/); dorsal fin with nine spines and ten rays; lateral-line scales 43 or 44; 4 or 4½ scales between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line; caudal-fin lobes short, the tips rounded with growth; and six to eight indistinct dark vertical bars (bar width about half pupil diameter) on lateral surface of body. Gerres maldivensis Regan, 1902, formerly considered a junior synonym of G. erythrourus (Bloch, 1791) ( =  G. abbreviatus), is reinstated as a valid Indo-Pacific species. It is characterized by body depth 43% SL, approximately eight faint dark vertical bars on body, lateral-line scales 40, 5½ scales between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line, 5½ and 9½ scale rows above and below the lateral line, respectively, dorsal surface of head with two converging rows of minute scales surrounded by series of larger scales, two small scales near the premaxillary groove, but no scales on the groove itself, and three supraneural bones (0/0/0+2). This suite of diagnostic characters is not known for any other species of Gerres. Several nominal species of Gerres of uncertain status are also discussed.

FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 16. Groupers of the World (Family Serranidae, Subfamily Epinephelinae). An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of the Grouper, Rockcod, Hind, Coral Grouper, and Lyretail Species Known to Date

Groupers of the world (family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae) : an annotated and illustrated catalogue of the grouper, rockcod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date , Groupers of the world (family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae) : an annotated and illustrated ca... , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

Biology of fishes

Consider that the oceans cover three-quarters of the earth’s surface and that fishes occupy every livable habitat in the sea. Add in the freshwater fishes, which occur wherever lakes and rivers are found, and one could fairly say that fishes dominate the earth.

A REVIEW OF SPECIES OF THE ANTHIINE FISH GENUS PLECTRAHTHIAS (PERCIFORMES: SERRANIDAE) FROM MAURITIUS

SUMMARY Three species of the serranid genus Plectranthias occur at Mauritius: Plectranthias winniensis (Tyler, 1966). P. inermis Randall, 1980 and P. pelicieri Randall and Shimizu, 1994. A recently collected specimen of P. inermis provided new data on intraspecific variation of what were previously supposed to be diagnostic characters for this species. Although this new specimen has a complete lateral line and 20 dorsal-fin rays, compared with an incomplete lateral line and 16–18 rays previously reported for P. inermis, all of the other diagnostic features (preopercle, interopercle and subopercle smooth; dorsal fin divided almost to the base between spinous and soft-rayed parts; pectoral-fin rays 13. all unbranched; one row of scales between lateral line and base of middle dorsal fin spines and one row of scales between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line; snout, preorbital, maxilla, lower jaw and interorbital area naked, cheek with 5 oblique rows of scales) agree with P. inermis. New data for all three sp...

Anatomy of fishes

The dorsal, caudal and anal fins are called the median fins, as they lie in the median (middle) vertical plane of the fish. In some fishes, the spinous dorsal fin is joined to the soft-rayed fin to form a single dorsal fin. The pectoral and pelvic fins are known as the paired fins, because there are two (left and right fins) of each. The distal part of a fin is the outer (marginal) part; the proximal or basal part of a fin is that portion nearest the body. The adipose fin is a short, fleshy, median fin situated on the caudal peduncle.