Revision of the fishes of the New Zealand genus Hemerocoetes (Perciformes: Percophididae), with descriptions of two new species

Abstract

Five species of the marine New Zealand genus Hemerocoetes are recognised and described: H. monopterygius (Schneider) [= H. acanthorhynchus (Forster)]; H. morelandi n.sp.; H. pauciradiatus Regan; H. artus n.sp.; and H. macrophthalmus Regan. H. waitei Regan is placed in synonymy with H. macrophthalmus. H. morelandi differs from the two other species possessing a relatively wide interorbital and small eye in lacking a dorsal iris flap and (mature males) in having an elongate first dorsal fin ray. It differs from H. monopterygius in having an elongate barbel at the tip of the upper jaw in mature males, and from most specimens of H. pauciradiatus in having 36–38 anal fin rays. H. morelandi is known primarily from off the Auckland Islands and Campbell Island, whereas H. monopterygius is widespread around the North and South Islands and the Chatham Islands, and H. pauciradiatus is commonest off the southern portion of the South Island and off the Chatham Islands. H. artus differs most noticeably from the similar H. macrophthalmus in having unbranched dorsal fin rays. Both have relatively narrower interorbitals and larger eyes and occur in deeper water than the other three species, but H. artus is known from south of latitude 44.0°S, whereas H. macrophthalmus is known primarily from north of about 44.5°S. In possessing a continuous dorsal fin lacking spines, Hemerocoetes is the most distinctive of the percophidid genera. It most closely resembles the western Australian Branchiopsaron ozawai and the Japanese Spinapsaron barbatus.