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Review of Indo-Pacific species of the scorpionfish genus Scorpaena (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae), with descriptions of two new species from the west coast of Australia

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Abstract

A taxonomic review of Indo-Pacific species of the scorpionfish genus Scorpaena resulted in the recognition of 21 valid species (including 2 subspecies and 2 new species) and 13 synonyms. The new species, Scorpaena longaecrista and Scorpaena sororreginae, were described on the basis of 50 and 23 specimens, respectively, from the west coast of Australia. Updated definitions of both the genus and species of Indo-Pacific Scorpaena, based on previously published characters and confirmed by examination of type and non-type specimens in this study, are provided. A diagnosis, synonymy, distribution, and list of specimens examined (or appropriate citation if previously published in detail) are given for each species, together with an identification key for all valid Indo-Pacific species of Scorpaena.

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Acknowledgements

We are especially grateful to M. McGrouther, A. Hay and S. Reader (AMS), S.-P. Huang (ASIZ), J. Maclaine (BMNH), L. O’Hara and A. Suzumoto (BPBM), H. Endo (BSKU), D. Catania and M. Hoang (CAS), H. Kawase (CMNH), A. Graham and J. Pogonoski (CSIRO), S. Kimura (FRLM), H. Yoshigou (HMNH), P. Pruvost, R. Causse, Z. Gabsi, J. Pfliger, and P. Béarez (MNHN), Y. Iwatsuki (MUFS), M.-D. Wandhammer (MZS), M. Gomon and D. Bray (NMV), C. Pollmann, A. Palandacic, B. Riedel, N. Bogutskaya, and E. Mikschi (NMW), C. Struthers and L. Moore (NMNZ), G. Shinohara and M. Nakae (NSMT), G. Dally and M. Hammer (NTM), K. Y. Wu (NTUM), S. Matsui and K. Hatooka (OMNH), J. Johnson (QM), R. de Ruiter (RMNH), O. Gon and W. Holleman (SAIAB), K. Miyamoto (URM), J. Williams, S. Raredon, K. Murphy, S. Smith, E. Wibur, and D. Pitassy (USNM), and G. Moore and M. Allen (WAM) for opportunities to examine specimens, R. Fricke (Lauda-Königshofen, Germany) for providing photographs of S. decemradiata and S. nasicornua and his advice on new scientific names, and to G. Hardy (Ngunguru, New Zealand) for reading the manuscript and assisting with English. This study was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 20H03311 and 21H03651; the JSPS Core-to-Core CREPSUM JPJSCCB2020009; and “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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  1. The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan

    Kunto Wibowo & Hiroyuki Motomura

  2. Research Center for Oceanography, LIPI, Jl. Pasir Putih I, Ancol Timur, Jakarta, 14430, Indonesia

    Kunto Wibowo

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

    Hiroyuki Motomura

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Wibowo, K., Motomura, H. Review of Indo-Pacific species of the scorpionfish genus Scorpaena (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae), with descriptions of two new species from the west coast of Australia. Ichthyol Res 69, 199–235 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-021-00827-0

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