A new species of Hemibrycon (Characiformes,Characidae, Stevardiinae) from the upper Magdalena River basin in Colombia

Hemibrycon iqueima sp. nov., is described from small streams in the Magdalena drainage at the foothills of the western slope of the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes, Suarez municipality, Tolima Department, Colombia. The new species is distinguished from its congeners in the Magdalena–Cauca River basin by a combination of characters related to snout–anal‐fin origin length, head length, dorsal–pectoral fin distance, dorsal‐fin–hypural distance, postorbital distance, orbital diameter, snout length, number of total vertebrae, pre‐dorsal scales, scale rows between anal‐fin origin and lateral line, number of branched rays of the anal fin, maxillary teeth number and number and arrangement of hooks on the branched rays of the pectoral and dorsal fins. In addition, the validity of this species is supported by previous molecular analyses that included specimens of the new species that had been erroneously identified. Phylogenetic relationships between the new species and congeners from Pacific coast basins are discussed.     

First record of the brown lanternshark,Etmopterus unicolor, from the waters around New Zealand, and comparison with the southern lanternshark,E. granulosus

Specimens of the brown lanternshark,Etmopterus unicolor, reported here for the first time from the waters around New Zealand, were caught on bottom longlines. This study compares morphometeric and meristic characters of New Zealand and Japanese specimens ofE. unicolor and New Zealand specimens of the southern lanternshark,E. granulosus. E. unicolor andE. granulosus are clearly distinguishable by the height of the first dorsal fin, number of spiral valves, number of vertebrae, and shape of the dermal denticles and teeth.     

Channa panaw, a new channid fish from the Irrawaddy and Sittang River basins, Myanmar

Channa panaw sp. nov. (Channidae) is described from 32 specimens collected from the Irrawaddy and Sittang River basins, Myanmar. It is distinguishable from all known congeners by the combination of the following characters: 32–35 dorsal fin rays, 23–24 anal fin rays, 17–20 pectoral fin rays, 39–41 lateral line scales, 39–41 total vertebrae, one large scale on each side of the lower jaw (rarely 2 on one side), pelvic fin length always more than 50% of pectoral fin length, and 7–12 irregular black blotches on the upper half of the body.     

A new species of Genus Triplophysa (Nemacheilinae: Balitoridae), Triplophysa longipectoralis sp. nov, from Guangxi, China

A new species, Triplophysa longipectoralis, is described from Liujiang River, Guangxi, China. The new species is distinguished from other species of Triplophysa by the following combination of characters: pectoral fin highly developed, reaching beyond pelvic-fin origin; eyes present and vestigial; body covered with scales; dorsal and lateral sides of head and body mottled with blotches; dorsal fin emarginate; caudal fin forked; anus close to anal-fin origin. A key to all valid species of Triplophysa in Xijiang River water system is provided. Chen and Yang contributed equally to this paper.     

Pseudanthias calloura (Teleostei: Perciformes), a new serranid fish from Palau, Central Pacific

A new anthine fish, Pseudanthias calloura, is described on the basis of three specimens from Palau. The new species differs from other congeners in having a complicated color pattern of the caudal fin and the following characters: moderately forked caudal fin; dorsal fin with 10 spines, the anterior ones being shorter than the rest, and with 16 soft rays; second anal spine shorter than the third; 19 pectoral rays; scales on lateral line 51 (holotype) to 53 (paratypes) in number; tongue without teeth; circumorbital rim with several fleshy projection on posterior part; a row of fine scales occurring asymmetrically behind alternate dorsal spines on both left and right sides; preopercle margin finely serrated; interopercle and subopercle margins smooth. Received: June 9, 1999 / Revised: September 23, 2000 / Accepted: February 23, 2001     

Hemimyzon nanensis, a new balitorid fish from the chao phraya basin, thailand

A new balitorid fish,Hemimyzon nanensis, is described from the Mae Nam Nan River basin, a tributary of the Chao Phraya River, in northern Thailand. This species is distinguishable from its congeners by the following unique combination of characters: pectoral fin with 9–11 simple and 10–12 branched, rays; pelvic fin with 3–4 (usually 3) simple and 8–9 (usually 9) branched rays; 59–63 total lateral line scales; distance between pelvic fin bases 8.1–9,6% SL.H. nanensis is the first species of the genus recorded outside China and Taiwan.     

Hastatobythites arafurensis, a new bythitid genus and species from Australia (Bythitidae, Ophidiiformes)

A new genus and species of the subfamily Bythitinae (Bythitidae),Hastatobythites arafurensis, is described on the basis of two specimens from the Arafura Sea. The genus is unique in the subfamily in having two anteriorlydirected spines, one on the frontal and one on the mesethmoid. It is also distinguishable from all other genera in the subfamily by the following combination of characters: head scales absent; squamation on body incomplete; maxillary expanded posteriorly; no thin pore-bearing skin flap over opercle; opercle thin, weak, without distinct spine; jaw teeth conical; vomerine and palatine teeth present; developed gill rakers on 1 st arch 3; pelvic fins with 1 ray in each; pectoral peduncle elongated, with 16 rays; caudal fin rays 12; branchiostegal, rays 8; precaudal vertebrae 15, with tips of 6th to 12th neural spines truncated.     

A new cottid species, Icelus sekii (Perciformes: Cottoidei), from Hokkaido, Japan

A new cottid species, Icelus sekii, is described on the basis of six specimens collected from off Rausu and Urakawa, Hokkaido Island, Japan. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: supraocular and parietal spines absent; nuchal spine obscure; uppermost preopercular spine unbranched; no scales between dorsal scale row and lateral line scale row, and no scales below lateral line scale row; supraocular, parietal, and nuchal cirri present; five dark brown saddles dorsolaterally; anal fin rays 13; pectoral fin rays 15; vertebrae 12 + 24–25 = 36–37. Icelus sekii can be mature at the smallest size among the species of Icelus. As a secondary sexual character, the male holotype has unique ensiform flaps on the distal tips of the first dorsal fin.     

A new miniature species of the genus Triplophysa (Balitoridae: Nemacheilinae) from Yunnan, China

During a re-examination of museum specimens of Triplophysa species, some specimens that had been collected from the Jialonghe River in Yunnan Province, China, in April 1975, were identified as a new species. Triplophysa parvus n. sp. can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: dorsal fin rays 3, ; anal fin rays 3, ; pectoral fin rays 1, 11; scales absent; two saddle-like blotches with fuzzy borders cranial to the dorsal fin and four saddle-like blotches caudal to the dorsal fin; distal margin of the dorsal fin emarginate; pelvic fin reaching caudally almost to the anus; anus located immediately cranial to the origin of the anal fin; caudal fin forked; caudal chamber of air bladder reduced to a small free protuberance; head slightly laterally compressed, head deeper than wide at nape; length of caudal peduncle being 18.0–20.0% of standard length; depth of caudal peduncle being 7.8–8.4% of standard length; eye diameter 17.6–21.4% of head length; body depth being 60.7–70.2% of head length; caudal peduncle depth being 39.1–45.0% of caudal peduncle length; and body width at the base of caudal peduncle 59.0–68.0% of the body depth at the base of caudal peduncle. These characters allow a distinction from the similar species of T. nasobarbatula, T. nandanensis, and T. macromaculata.     

Two new species of the genusAmblyeleotris (Pisces: Gobiidae) from the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

Two new shrimp-associated gobies,Amblyeleotris yanoi sp. nov. andA. masuii sp. nov. are described on the basis of specimens from Iriomote-jima Island and Okinawa-jima Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.A. yanoi is distinguished from other members of the genus by the combination of the following characters: 14 anal fin soft rays, 19 pectoral fin rays, 97–103 longitudinal scales, a candle flame-shaped marking on the caudal fin, a very low membrane connecting the pelvic fins and absence of a ventral frenum.A. masuii differs from all other congeners by having 92–97 longitudinal scales, the length of the interpelvic connecting membrane relative to the longest pelvic fin ray (0.43–0.66), black blotches on the sides of the chin, and blue spots on the opercle and preopercle.     

Redescription of a rare bothid,Asterorhombus bleekeri (Macleay), and description of a new species ofAsterorhombus from northwestern Australia (Teleostei: Pleuronectiformes)

A rare Australian bothid flounder.Asterorhombus bleekeri (Macleay), is redescribed from the holotype and ten additional specimens from the east coast of Qeensland, Gulf of Carpentaria and Rowly Shoal (Western Australia). The species is transferred fromArnoglossus Bleeker toAsterorhombus Tanaka because of the lack of obvious sexual dimorphism in the interorbital width and pectoral fin length, the lack of rostral and orbital spines, the yellow-white blind side body coloration, and the deeply cleft parhypural and hypural plates. The definition ofAsterorhombus was emended as follows: the first dorsal fin ray continuous with or separated from remaining fin rays and gill rakers slender or stubby, with or without serrations.Asterorhombus osculus sp. nov., formerly briefly described in the literature as unidentified species ofEngyprosopon, was described from eight specimens from the northwestern coast of Australia. The new species is most similar toA. bleekeri in lacking sexual dimorphism, and having the caudal skeleton with deep clefts, two or three rows of teeth on the upper jaw and a pair of conspicuous black spots on the caudal fin, in addition to a similar general appearance, but is distinguished from the latter by shorter gill rakers, a very small mouth and feebly ctenoid scales on the ocular side. Both species clearly differed fromA. intermedius andA. fijiensis in having two (or three) rows of teeth on the upper jaws, slender gill rakers without serrations, first dorsal fin ray continuous with the other fin rays, and a pair of conspicuous black spots on the caudal fin.     

Juveniles of Kyphosus vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimard 1825) with reference to a senior synonym of Cantharus lineolatus Valenciennes 1830

The juveniles of Kyphosus vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimard 1825), collected from the Indian Ocean and Japanese waters, are described with some ontogenetic morphological changes based on six specimens having 14 dorsal and 13 anal fin soft rays, 56–62 scales in a longitudinal row along the midbody, and 30–32 gill-rakers on the first gill-arch. The juveniles of K. vaigiensis smaller than ca. 42 mm in standard length (SL) have the proximal parts of the dorsal and anal fin soft-rayed portions covered with small scales, and the single outer row of the upper jaw teeth consisting of incisor-like and conically pointed teeth, the former with polycuspid tips differing from the specimens greater than ca. 68 mm SL. The holotype of Cantharus lineolatus Valenciennes 1830, 41.5 mm SL, was included here in the juveniles as K. vaigiensis. Therefore, K. vaigiensis is recognized as a senior synonym of C. lineolatus.     

Lycodes nishimurai, a new deep-sea eelpout (Teleostei: Zoarcidae) from the Sea of Japan

A new zoarcid fish, Lycodes nishimuari, is described on the basis of four specimens from the Yamato Bank, the Sea of Japan, at depths of 642–669 m. Although this species resembles Lycodes diapterus, L. hubbsi, L. pectoralis, L. macrochir, and L. nakamurae in having a deep notch in the pectoral fin and a single lateral line on the body, it is distinguished from them by the following combination of characters: no scales on pectoral fin base; scales on dorsum before dorsal fin origin; suborbital, preopercular, and last postorbital pores with risen rim; whitish lips; no whitish transverse bars on body; pectoral fin membrane and anterior part of dorsal fin membrane without black spots; basal color of vertical fins black. Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic format at .     

Rhodeus pseudosericeus sp. nov., a new bitterling from South Korea (Cyprinidae, Acheilognathinae)

A new bitterling, Rhodeus pseudosericeus sp. nov., is described on the basis of 31 specimens from five localities included in the Namhan River system, South Korea. The new species is distinguished from other Rhodeus species by the following combination of characters: branched dorsal fin rays 9–10 (mode 9); branched anal fin rays 9–11 (mode 10); longest simple ray of dorsal fin strong and stiff, distally segmented; pelvic fin rays i, 6–7; iris of males blackish; dorsal and anal fins of males grayish in breeding season; karyotype with 2n = 48 (8m + 20sm + 20st). Rhodeus pseudosericeus sp. nov. is similar to Rhodeus sericeus sericeus in the number of pelvic fin and branched dorsal fin rays and the melanophores present on the dorsal fin membrane, but differs from the latter in having a greater body depth, more branched anal fin rays, fewer vertebrae, a lower number of scales in the lateral series, and differing male nuptial coloration. Received: June 30, 2000 / Revised: February 21, 2001 / Accepted: March 6, 2001     

The Saurida undosquamis group (Aulopiformes: Synodontidae), with description of a new species from southern Japan

Four lizardfishes of Saurida (family Synodontidae), S. undosquamis, S. umeyoshii sp. nov., S. macrolepis, and S. longimanus, are described. All are recognized here as the Saurida undosquamis group, characterized by having dark dots on the upper margin of the caudal fin, pectoral fin exceeding origin to pelvic fin, anterior rays of dorsal fin neither elongate nor filamentous, predorsal length greater than distance between dorsal-fin and adipose-fin origins, 46–55 pored lateral-line scales, and vomer with 0–8 teeth. Saurida undosquamis, from northern West India and West Pacific, excluding East Asia, differs from others in having lateral-line scales ridged on the caudal peduncle, conspicuously concave posterior margin of the pectoral fin, 51–55 pored lateral-line scales, and 50–53 vertebrae. Saurida umeyoshii sp. nov., from southern Japan and the East China Sea, is defined by three rows of indistinct dark blotches on, above, and below the lateral line, distribution of scale pockets with melanophores on their posterior part extending over the entire abdominal region from the lateral line in specimens over ca. 130 mm SL, lateral-line scales not ridged on caudal peduncle, 49–52 pored lateral-line scales, and 48–50 vertebrae. Saurida macrolepis, from the Indo-West Pacific, is characterized by 46–49 pored lateral-line scales and 45–48 vertebrae. Saurida longimanus, from northern West India, northwest Australia, and southern Indonesia, differs from the others in having a long pectoral fin extending past the origin of the dorsal fin. Some geographic variations are found in S. macrolepis. Saurida grandisquamis is confirmed as a junior synonym of S. undosquamis, based on examination of the type specimens. A key to species in the S. undosquamis group is included.     

A new species of sculpin,Icelus ecornis (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) from the southwestern Okhotsk Sea

A new cottid species,Icelus ecornis, is described on the basis of 31 specimens collected from 159–226 m in the southwestern Okhotsk Sea off Hokkaido, Japan. It is distinguished from all other members of the genusIcelus by the following combination of characters: no supraocular and parietal spines; short blunt nuchal spine; cirri absent from head and body, except for supraocular, parietal and nuchal regions; platelike scales of dorsal row bearing 6–10 long uniform spinules; tubular lateral line scales bearing small spines on dorsal and posterior margins; large oval black spot on first dorsal fin; 16–20 anal fin rays.     

Revision of the genusgirella (girellidae) from east asia

The taxonomy of three species ofGirella from East Asian waters,G. punctata Gray, 1835,G. leonina (Richardson, 1846) andG. mezina Jordan & Starks, 1907, is reviewed and intraspecific (individual and ontogenic) variations detailed.Girella mezina is characterized by a very wide mouth and thick upper lip, the soft-rayed portion of the anal fin high and round, dorsal profile of the head abruptly slanting in front of the eyes in adults, a transverse yellow band on the body in life, and 3–4 rows of teeth along the outer jaw margins, the central cusp of each tooth being wider than the lateral cusps in adults.Girella punctata is characterized by usually 2 rows of teeth along the outer jaw margins, usually 7 transverse series of scales between the lateral line and median spinous portion of the dorsal fin (TRac), and usually 52–55 pored lateral line scales (LLp). The species is variable in body and caudal fin shape, extent of squamation on the opercular region, and number and position of dark spots on the scales. It also exhibits ontogenetic variation in the number of tooth-rows.Girella leonina is characterized by a conspicuously black opercular flap, essentially a single row of teeth along the outer jaw margins, usually 10–11 TRac and usually 59–64 LLp. Intraspecific variations were evident in the mouth position, scale condition and body color after death, and in the number of pores of cephalic lateral line canals. The holotype ofG. punctata, previously known only from a figure, is described for the first time.Girella melanichthys is synonymized underG. punctata with a lectotype designated for the former.     

Description of two new genera, Santelmoa and Bentartia and two new species of Zoarcidae (Teleostei, Perciformes) from the Southern Ocean

Two new genera of lycodine zoarcid fish, Santelmoa and Bentartia, and two new species, Santelmoa carmenae and Bentartia cinerea, are described from 13 specimens collected from the Gerlache Strait, Southern Ocean, at 1,056-m depth. Santelmoa can be distinguished from all other lycodine genera by the combination of the following characters: anterior portion of frontals fused; scapular foramen open; ceratohyal–epihyal articulation interdigitating; cranium narrowed; supratemporal commissure and occipital pores absent; intercalar reaching the prootic; parasphenoid wing well developed; palatal arch well developed; posterior hyomandibular ramus short; post-temporal ventral ramus well developed; six branchiostegal rays; vertebrae asymmetrical; pelvic fin rays ensheathed; scales, lateral line, pyloric caeca, palatine and vomerine teeth present. Bentartia differs from the remaining lycodine genera by the following combination of characters: basioccipital and exoccipitals fused; supraoccipital–exoccipital articulation broadly contacting; ceratohyal–epihyal articulation interdigitating; post-temporal ventral ramus weak; two posterior nasal pores; cranium narrowed; supratemporal commissure and occipital pores absent; intercalar set posteriorly; palatal arch well developed; posterior hyomandibular ramus not elongate; parasphenoid wing high; six branchiostegal rays; vertebrae asymmetrical; pelvic fin rays ensheathed; scales, lateral line, pyloric caeca, palatine and vomerine teeth present. The relationships of the two new genera are discussed.     

Echinogobius hayashii, A new genus and species of gobiidae

Echinogobius hayashii, a new genus and species of Gobiidae is described, based on 11 specimens from Japan and Australia. This genus is distinguishable from all other gobiid genera in having the following combination of characters: first spine of first dorsal fin hard and straight, about 1.5 times second spine in thickness; first spine of second dorsal fin hard, with similar thickness as first soft ray of second dorsal fin, supported by two normally-sized pterygiophores; snout convex; preopercular spine absent; predorsal scales absent; all scales cycloid. The species occurs between 1–20 m in clear water on clear sandy bottoms influenced by fast tidal currents. Based on our observations, it is not associated with an alpheid shrimp.     

A new anthiine fish (Perciformes: Serranidae),Holanthias kingyo, from the Ryukyu Islands

A new anthiine fish,Holanthias kingyo sp, nov., is described on the basis of two specimens (male and female) from the Ryukyu Is., Japan. The new species is most similar toH. natalensis (Fowler, 1925), known only from South Africa, in having the following characters: dorsal fin soft rays 16 or 17, anal fin soft rays 9, pored lateral line scales 46 or 47, scale rows above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 9 1/2 or 10 1/2, and gill rakers 10 or 11 +24 or 25=34–36. It differs from the latter in having more scales below the lateral line to the origin of the anal fin (27 1/2 vs. 18–24), a U-shaped caudal fin with paddle-like lobes (vs. deeply forked caudal fin with each lobe ending in a long slender filament), the outer margin of the soft anal fin vertical (vs. gently convex) and brown spots on the body in female (vs. spots absent in females).