A new righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta pectoralis (Pleuronectiformes: Poecilopsettidae), from New Caledonia

A new righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta pectoralis, is described from 4 specimens (2 males, 2 females) collected from deep waters (510–580 m) around New Caledonia. The species is easily distinguished from 13 congeners by having 99–105 lateral line scales, a narrow interorbit [male: 37.00–40.25 in head length (HL); female: 47.33–50.71], long pectoral fin on ocular side (male: 0.89–0.91 in HL; female: 1.04–1.20), no scales from snout to anterior interorbital region, and 4 spots on caudal fin. Sexual dimorphism is evident in this species, showing males bearing the ocular-side pectoral fin longer than females, and it is the first example in Poecilopsetta.     

Dorymenia troncosoi sp. nov. (Mollusca Solenogastres: Proneomeniidae), a new species from the South Shetland Islands (Antarctica)

During the Spanish oceanographic expedition BENTART '95, carried out in Antarctic waters off Livingston Island (South Shetland Islands), five small specimens of a new species of Solenogastres-Cavibelonia, Dorymenia troncosoi sp. nov., were collected at a depth of 65–240 m on a silt bottom. The species is characterized by the presence of a pallial cavity with four pouches (a dorsal, two lateral and a ventral pouch), seminal receptacles that open into the spawning ducts through a short duct, radula having 9–11 teeth per row (1 central and 4–5 lateral, all the same size), the end of the copulatory spicules having a cross-section in the shape of a four-pointed star, and abdominal spicules present. These characteristics separate this species from other species of the genus, particularly from Dorymenia profunda, which is the most similar. Received: 9 April 1998 / Accepted: 12 June 1998     

Upeneus australiae, a new goatfish (Mullidae: Perciformes) from Australia

 Upeneus australiae sp. nov. is described on the basis of 14 specimens collected from Australian waters. Although it belongs to the seven-spined group of Upeneus, now comprising five species, U. australiae is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: 6–7 + 16–18 (modally 7 + 17) gill rakers, ectopterygoids without teeth, five and six black oblique bars on upper and lower caudal lobes, respectively, and peritoneum transparent with small black spots. Received: July 26, 2001 / Revised: November 2, 2001 / Accepted: December 4, 2001     

A new righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta multiradiata (Teleostei: Pleuronectiformes: Poecilopsettidae), from New Zealand and New Caledonia (South-West Pacific)

A new righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta multiradiata, is described from eight specimens (two males and six females) collected from deep waters (336–408 m) around New Zealand and New Caledonia (South-West Pacific). This new species is distinguished from its 14 congeners by the following combination of characters: high numbers of dorsal (70–73) and anal (58–62) fin rays, ca. 85–99 lateral-line scales, 31–32 caudal vertebrae, and a relatively shallow body depth of 36.9–41.9% SL.     

Mesopristes iravi, a new terapontid fish (Perciformes: Terapontidae) from rivers of Iriomote Island, the Ryukyu Islands

 A new terapontid fish, Mesopristes iravi, is described based on 13 specimens collected on Iriomote Island, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. This species closely resembles M. argenteus (Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829) in having dark stripes on the body, but differs from that species in retaining the stripes even in adults (vs. stripes disappearing ontogenetically in the latter species), having the median stripe passing through the eye interrupted on the postorbital region (vs. continuous when the stripe present), a shorter fifth (longest) dorsal spine (14.6–19.7% SL vs. 18.0–22.2% SL), and a longer postorbital length (40.0–43.0% HL vs. 37.8–40.7% HL). Mesopristes iravi has been confused with M. argenteus in previous reports, and on the basis of the literature it may extend from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, southward to Borneo, Indonesia, and New Guinea. Received: August 6, 2001 / Revised: February 24, 2002 / Accepted: March 7, 2002     

Redescription of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bregmaceros mcclellandi</Emphasis> Thompson, 1840 (Gadiformes: Bregmacerotidae)

 This study redescribes Bregmaceros mcclellandi Thompson, 1840, based on one specimen (74.4 mm SL) from the Bay of Bengal and 66 specimens (30.0–84.7 mm SL) from Mumbai (Bombay), India, because the type specimens have apparently been lost. The present specimens are characterized by having black dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins and show the following morphology: caudal fin slightly forked; body chromatophores present mainly at the dorsal part; no scales on cheek; vertebrae 52–55 (13–15 + 38–41); dorsal rays 52–59; anal rays 54–60; pectoral rays 18–20; caudal rays 27–31 (principal rays 14); transverse scales 14–15. In the 66 Mumbai specimens, it was confirmed that the distinctive black fin pigmentation developed sequentially with growth, with complete pigmentation first on the anterior lobe of the dorsal fin, then simultaneously on the posterior lobe of the dorsal fin, the caudal fin, and the pectoral fin, and last, on the anal fin. This species is known only from the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Gulf of Thailand. A review of 16 nominal Bregmaceros species indicates that, besides B. mcclellandi, the distinctive dark fin pigmentation is found in B. atripinnis (Tickell), B. atlanticus Goode and Bean, B. japonicus Tanaka, and B. lanceolatus Shen. B. atripinnis is considered a junior synonym of B. mcclellandi, and the others are clearly distinct from B. mcclellandi. Comments are made on some of the characters to more fully characterize the species and for reference in future revisionary and phylogenetic studies. Received: June 17, 2002 / Revised: December 2, 2002 / Accepted: December 24, 2002     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cabillus atripelvicus</Emphasis>, a new species of gobiid fish from the Ogasawara Islands,with a key to species of the genus

Cabillus atripelvicus is described from three specimens, 26.1–40.6 mm in standard length, collected from depth 17–29 m in the Ogasawara Islands. In addition, two small specimens taken by dredge in 50–55 m from Sagami Bay, Honshu, and one from Tachibana Bay, Kyushu, are identified as this species but not designated as paratypes. Cabillus atripelvicus is distinguished from the four other described species of the genus by its high count of 18–20 pectoral rays, presence of median predorsal scales, longer pectoral fins, and distinctive color pattern, including black pelvic fins. The range of C. lacertops Smith, 1959 is extended east to the Marshall Islands and that of C. tongarevae (Fowler, 1927) east to American Samoa. More species remain to be described in the genus. Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic format at     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Epigonus carbonarius</Emphasis>, a new species of deepwater cardinalfish (Perciformes: Epigonidae) from the Marquesas Islands,with a redefinition of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epigonus oligolepis</Emphasis> group

A new epigonid fish, Epigonus carbonarius, is described on the basis of four specimens (50.8–95.3 mm standard length) collected from off Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands. This species belongs to the Epigonus oligolepis group, redefined in this study. It is distinguished from the three recognized species of the group by the following combination of characters: a small number of total gill rakers (21–23) and pyloric caeca (6), presence of lingual teeth, and absence of teeth from posterior part of vomer. A key to the species in the E. oligolepis group is provided.     

Icelinus pietschi sp. nov. and a rare species, Sigmistes smithi, from the southern Kuril Archipelago (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae)

A new cottid, Icelinus pietschi sp. nov., and a rare species, Sigmistes smithi Schultz, were collected from intertidal zones in the southern Kuril Archipelago. Icelinus pietschi, represented by five specimens (34.8–42.2 mm SL) from Iturup Island, is distinguished from other species of Icelinus by having the dorsal scale rows terminating before the posteriormost base of the second dorsal fin, spines absent on the dorsal surface of the head, a single common opening of the terminal pores of the mandibular canal, a cirrus on the base of the nasal spine, and a slightly bifid uppermost preopercular spine without denticles dorsally. Six examples (36.8–42.9 mm SL) from Urup Island of Sigmistes smithi, previously known only rarely from the middle of the Aleutian Archipelago, constitute the first record of the species from the western North Pacific. Received: September 26, 1999 / Revised: May 25, 2000 / Accepted: August 29, 2000     

中国肉盘衣属地衣新记录种

在对海南省叶生地衣资源的调查研究中发现了中国肉盘衣属地衣新记录种:乳头肉盘衣[Fellhanera mastothallina(Vain.)Lücking&Sérus.],描述了其形态学、解剖学及化学特征,提供了显微结构照片.主要识别特征为:地衣体壳状,布满灰绿色乳头状颗粒,子囊盘棕色,囊盘被外部由疏丝组织构成,子囊孢...     

A new cavefish species, Sinocyclocheilus brevibarbatus (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), from Guangxi, China

A new species of the cavefish genus Sinocyclocheilus is described based on six specimens collected from a subterranean river in Du’an County in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China. Sinocyclocheilus brevibarbatus sp. nov. can be distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characteristics: a completely scaled body with well-developed eyes and a strongly-humped back; an almost straight lateral line possessing 49–51 perforated scales; seven soft rays on the dorsal fin; a relatively large eyeball (3.3–5.7% of SL) and short maxillary and rictal barbels (1.7–5.7% and 4.5–7.0% of SL, respectively).     

Channa nox, a new channid fish lacking a pelvic fin from Guangxi, China

 A new species of channid fish, genus Channa, is described from 7 specimens collected from the vicinity of Hepu, Guangxi Province, southern China. The new species, Channa nox, is distinguished from all other channid species by the following combination of characters: absence of pelvic fins, small rounded head (22.1%–26.8% SL), narrow interorbital width (19.6%–26.7% HL), short snout length (3.6%–5.1% SL), predorsal and prepectoral lengths (26.9%–28.4% SL and 24.8%–28.3% SL, respectively), 47–51 dorsal fin rays, 31–33 anal fin rays, 55–63 lateral line scales, 5.5–6.5 scales above lateral line, 9–13 cheek scales, 53–55 total vertebrae, 1 or 2 scale(s) on each side of lower jaw undersurface, the black upper half of body with 8–11 irregular (often anteriorly pointed V-shaped) bands or blotches, a large white-rimmed black ocellus on caudal peduncle and sparse white spots on the dark brown body and dorsal and caudal fins, as well as the shape of the hyomandibular process of the suprabranchial organs. Channa nox is sympatrically distributed with its morphologically most similar congener, C. asiatica. Received: January 18, 2001 / Revised: November 2, 2001 / Accepted: December 12, 2001     

Larval development of Pseudorhombus oculocirris and P. arsius (Pleuronectiformes, Paralichthyidae) from off southern Japan

 Larvae of two paralichthyids, Pseudorhombus oculocirris and P. arsius, are described and illustrated from specimens collected off Tosa Bay, southern Japan. Peudorhombus oculocirris larvae (5 specimens, 4.5–7.8 mm BL) are characteristic in having 6 or 7 elongated anterior dorsal fin rays and poorly developed head spines and melanophores on the tail. Pseudorhombus arsius larvae (3 specimens, 5.3–8.4 mm BL) are distinctive in having 11 or 12 elongated anterior dorsal fin rays and well-developed head spines, including a row of spines on the sphenotic. Received: June 28, 2001 / Revised: November 2, 2001 / Accepted: November 22, 2001     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dolichopteryx pseudolongipes</Emphasis>, a new species of spookfish (Argentinoidei: Opisthoproctidae) from the eastern Pacific Ocean

A new species of opisthoproctid, Dolichopteryx pseudolongipes, is described on the basis of three specimens (48.7–79.9 mm in standard length: SL) collected from the eastern Pacific Ocean. This species is characterized by small tubular eyes (diameter 2.7–3.9% SL), presence of an adipose fin, anal fin base originating under the dorsal fin base, relatively short predorsal (73.3–73.8% SL), prepelvic (64.3–67.9% SL), preanal (77.4–80.1% SL), and preanus (71.5–75.7% SL) lengths; 31–33 (=9–10 + 22–24) gill rakers and 43–45 vertebrae. Although D. pseudolongipes had previously been confused with Dolichopteryx longipes, many differences between the species are apparent [e.g., adipose fin absent, anal fin base origin just behind dorsal fin base, greater prepelvic length (70.3–72.7% SL), 25 gill rakers, and 46–47 vertebrae in D. longipes].     

Review of the genusBembras Cuvier, 1829 (Scorpaeniformes: Bembridae) with description of three new species collected from Australia and Indonesia

The bembrid genusBembras Cuvier is reviewed. Five species,B. japonica Cuvier,B. adenensis Imamura & Knapp and three undescribed species, were assigned to the genus. Type species of the genus,Bembras japonica is redescribed on the basis of 36 specimens including the holotype, and three new species,B. macrolepis, B. longipinnis andB. megacephala, previously misidentified asB. japonicus, are also described on the basis of specimens collected from Australia and Indonesia.Bembras macrolepis differs from its congeners by having large body scales, a long pectoral fin with 17–19 rays and a dark blotch on slightly upper portion to middle of margin, 14–15 anal-fin rays, small head and orbit, and caudal fin with a broad vertical dark band near posterior margin.Bembras longipinnis is distinguished from other members of the genus by having a slightly long pectoral fin with 17–19 rays and lacking a small black blotch near tip of upper rays, caudal fin with a large dark spot most intense in lower lobe, 1–2 gill rakers on upper gill arch, 13–14 anal-fin rays, slightly elong ated head and small orbit.Bembras megacephala is characterized by the following combination of characters: caudal fin with several irregular narrow vertical dark bands, small orbit, pectoral fin with 19–20 rays and lacking a small black blotch near tip of upper rays, head elongate, 2–4 gill rakers on upper gill arch, 15 anal-fin rays and small body scales. A key separating the five species ofBembras is given.     

Serratia ficaria sp. nov., a bacterial species associated with Smyrna figs and the fig waspBlastophaga psenes

Fourteen strains isolated from figs, caprifigs, and fig wasps collected in California and Tunisia, and from a small black ant in France, constitute a new DNA hybridization group that is 25–56% related toSerratia species, and 6–17% related to other species of Enterobacteriaceae. This homogeneous group (90% relatedness within the group) constitutes a new species that is namedSerratia ficaria sp. nov. (type strain, ICPB 4050, ATCC 33105). Strains of this species have a characteristic odor, similar to that ofS: odorifera andPseudomonas perolens. No strain ofS. ficaria has yet been recovered from clinical specimens.     

A new species of deepwater cardinalfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epigonus mayeri</Emphasis>, from the eastern Central Atlantic,and redescription of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epigonus heracleus</Emphasis> Parin and Abramov 1986 (Perciformes: Epigonidae)

A new epigonid fish, Epigonus mayeri, is described on the basis of two specimens (109.7–113.8 mm in standard length: SL) from off Angola, and Epigonus heracleus Parin and Abramov 1986 is redescribed on the basis of 12 additional specimens with type specimens from off eastern New Zealand. These species belong to a subgroup of Epigonus, known as the “Epigonus robustus group,” which have a pungent opercular spine and VII-I, 9 dorsal-fin rays. The new species differs from other species of the group by having a sharp-pointed mustache-like process, presence of a rib on the last abdominal vertebra, vertebrae 10 + 15, tongue toothless, pyloric caeca 5, pectoral fin reaching to vertical line from anus (length 22.2–23.6% SL), orbital diameter 16.4–17.0% SL, head length 37.8–38.0% SL, and lower jaw length 16.7–17.0% SL.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Epigonus cavaticus</Emphasis> (Teleostei: Perciformes), a new epigonid fish from Palau,western Central Pacific

A new epigonid fish, Epigonus cavaticus, is described on the basis of eight specimens (59.2–69.5 in standard length: SL) collected from a cave at depth 20 m, southern fringing reef of Ngemelis Island, Palau. The species differs from other congeners by having minute teeth on both jaws, no opercular spine, pyloric caeca 7–8, gill rakers 25–27, total pored lateral line scales 48–50, dorsal fin rays VII-I, 10–11 (mode VII-I, 10), pectoral fin rays 16, vertebrae 10 + 15, body depth 21.4–25.0% SL, pectoral fin length 22.7–24.6% SL, eye diameter 44.4–47.5% head length: HL, upper jaw length 40.2–42.5% HL. Four paratypes (63.7–66.8 mm SL) of the new species are female with mature gonads, it is the smallest in size at sexual maturity among the congeners.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Samariscus multiradiatus</Emphasis>, a new dextral flounder (Pleuronectiformes: Samaridae) from New Caledonia

A new dextral flounder, Samariscus multiradiatus, is described from six specimens (four males and two females) collected in deep waters (296–430 m) around New Caledonia. The species is easily distinguished from its 16 congeners in having a combination of 85–91 dorsal fin rays, 67–72 anal fin rays, 5 pectoral fin rays, and 9 abdominal and 34–35 caudal vertebrae.