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Validity of Scorpaena jacksoniensis and a redescription of S. cardinalis, a senior synonym of S. cookii (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae)

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Abstract

The Scorpaena cardinalis complex, including S. cardinalis, S. jacksoniensis and S. orgila, is defined. The genus Ruboralga (type species: S. jacksoniensis) is regarded as a junior synonym of Scorpaena. Scorpaena jacksoniensis Steindachner 1866, previously treated as a junior synonym of Scorpaena cardinalis Solander and Richardson 1842, is regarded here as a valid species. Scorpaena cookii Günther 1874, previously treated as a valid species, is regarded here as a junior synonym of S. cardinalis. Thus, recent recognition of the two Australasian scorpionfishes, i.e., S. cardinalis and S. cookii, are re-identified in this study as S. jacksoniensis and S. cardinalis, respectively. Scorpaena plebeia Solander 1842 is regarded as a junior synonym of S. cardinalis. Scorpaena jacksoniensis is distributed along the east coast of Australia from southern Queensland to eastern Victoria, whereas S. cardinalis occurs around northern New Zealand, the Kermadec Islands and offshore islands of the Tasman Sea. A neotype is designated for S. cardinalis. Morphological changes with growth in the two species are described in detail.

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Acknowledgments

We are especially grateful to A. Hay and S. Reader (AMS), J. Maclaine (BMNH), W. Eschmeyer, T. Iwamoto, D. Catania and M. Hoang (CAS), P. Last, A. Graham and W. White (CSIRO), H. Wellendorf and C. Prenner (NMW) and J. Johnson (QM) for their kind assistance during the first author’s visits to their institutions. We thank J. Randall, L. O’Hara and A. Suzumoto (BPBM) for the specimen loan, and D. Bray (NMV) and J. Johnson (QM) for providing distributional information on S. jacksoniensis in Victoria and Queensland, respectively. We are grateful to L. Moore and all staff of the Fish Section of NMNZ for their generous support during this study, and S. Schulz (Sydney, Australia), J. Randall (BPBM) and R. McPhee (NMNZ) for providing some photographs of S. jacksoniensis and S. cardinalis. This work was also supported (in part) by the NZ Foundation for Research Science and Technology through the Te Papa Biosystematics of NZ EEZ Fishes subcontract within NIWA’s marine Biodiversity and Biosecurity OBI programme (contract C01X0502) and a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Tokyo (19770067).

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Hiroyuki Motomura

  2. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, P. O. Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand

    Carl D. Struthers & Andrew L. Stewart

  3. Australian Museum, 6 College Street, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia

    Mark A. McGrouther

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  1. Hiroyuki Motomura
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  4. Andrew L. Stewart
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Correspondence to Hiroyuki Motomura.

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Motomura, H., Struthers, C.D., McGrouther, M.A. et al. Validity of Scorpaena jacksoniensis and a redescription of S. cardinalis, a senior synonym of S. cookii (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae). Ichthyol Res 58, 315–332 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-011-0234-2

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