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Enneapterygius sericus, a new species of triplefin (Perciformes: Tripterygiidae) from the western Pacific Ocean

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Abstract

A new triplefin, Enneapterygius sericus sp. nov. (Perciformes: Tripterygiidae), is described from 51 specimens from the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: 9–11 (modally 10) third dorsal-fin rays; ii–v (iv) + 3–6 (4) + iv–viii (vii) = 13–16 (15) pectoral-fin rays; 17–21 (19) anal-fin rays; 15–18 (16) pored lateral-line scales; 32–37 (36) scale rows in longitudinal series; 8–12 (10 or 11) circumpeduncular scales; single transverse scale row between posteriormost pored scale and anteriormost notched scale; mandibular-pore formula usually 3 + 1 + 3; 1st spine of first dorsal fin shorter than that of 2nd dorsal fin, its length 5.5–10.2% (mean 8.2%) of standard length; orbital tentacle short, slender and pointed, its length shorter than nasal tentacle; body generally semi-transparent white with reddish pigmentation; dorsal surface of head with brownish blotches; and head, pectoral-fin base, and abdomen black in nuptial males. Enneapterygius sericus sp. nov. is most similar to Enneapterygius nanus (Schultz 1960), but differs from the latter as follows: 12–14 (modally 13) second dorsal-fin spines [vs. 12 or 13 (12) in E. nanus]; 3 or 3½ scales below 1st notched lateral-line scale [vs. 2 or 2½ (2)]; orbital tentacle slender and pointed (vs. small, leaf-shaped, the edge slightly rounded); dorsal head surface with brownish blotches (vs. unpigmented); lower half of head, opercle, pectoral-fin base, and base of 8 lowermost pectoral-fin rays black on lateral surface; undersurface of head, including pelvic-fin base, and anterior part of abdomen (sometimes extending to anus) black (vs. pectoral-fin base without black pigmentation, black region on ventral body surface reaching or slightly beyond pelvic-fin base). Enneapterygius sericus sp. nov. usually occurs on exposed shallow rocky reefs [in depths less than 5 m off Yaku-shima Island (type locality)]. Spawning has been observed at Yaku-shima Island from the end of February to April.

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Acknowledgments

We thank M. McGrouther, A. Hay, S. Reader, and K. Parkinson (AMS), A. Suzumoto and L. O’Hara (BPBM), M. A. Rogers, C. Mcmahan, S. Mochel and K. Swagel (FMNH), H. Yoshigo (HMNH), H. Senou (KPM), G. Shinohara and M. Nakae (NSMT), and J. Williams, S. Raredon, K. Murphy, L. Palmer, D. Pitassy, S. Smith, K. Bemis, A. Nonaka and E. Wilbur (USNM), H. Wada (ZUMT) for opportunities to examine specimens, K. Fujiwara (NSMT), M. Matsuoka and M. C. Sato (KAUM) for collecting specimens, volunteers and students of KAUM for curatorial assistance, and G. Hardy (Ngunguru, New Zealand) for reading the manuscript and providing help with English. This study was supported in part by the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from The Japan Science Society Grant Number 2023-4104: JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 20H03311 and 21H03651; the JSPS Core-to-core CREPSUM JPJSCCB20200009; and the “Establishment of Glocal Research and Education Network in the Amami Islands” project of Kagoshima University adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-8580, Japan

    Yuna Dewa

  2. Yakushima Diving Service Mori-to-Umi, 2473-294 Miyanoura, Kamiyaku, Kumage, Kagoshima, 891-4205, Japan

    Shigeru Harazaki

  3. The Kagoshima University Museum, 1-21-30 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan

    Hiroyuki Motomura

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  1. Yuna Dewa
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  2. Shigeru Harazaki
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  3. Hiroyuki Motomura
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Correspondence to Yuna Dewa.

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Fish species, treated in this study, are not listed as threatened or endangered by the IUCN Red List or CITES. Specimens registered in fish collections of natural history museums were used in this study. New Japanese specimens were collected with permission from the local fisheries cooperatives.

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Dewa, Y., Harazaki, S. & Motomura, H. Enneapterygius sericus, a new species of triplefin (Perciformes: Tripterygiidae) from the western Pacific Ocean. Ichthyol Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-023-00945-x

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