Abstract
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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Abe, T. and R. Arai. 1968. Some sea-shore fishes from Iwate Prefecture. Japan. Mem. Natn. Sci. Mus., (1): 148–152. pl. 9.
Amaoka, K., K. Nakaya and M. Yabe. 1995. The fishes of northern Japan. Kita-Nihon Kaiyo Center Co. Ltd., Sapporo. 390 pp
Araga, C. 1984. Family Girellidae. Pages 165–166in H. Masuda, K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno and T. Yoshino, eds., The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Tokai University Press, Tokyo.
Arai, R. and T. Abe. 1970. The sea fishes of the Tsushima Islands, Japan. Mem. Natn. Sci. Mus., (3): 83–100, pls. 17–18.
Bleeker, P. 1857. Nieuwe nalezingen op de ichthyologie van Japan. Verh. Bat. Gen. 26: 1–132, pls. 1–8.
Boeseman, M. 1947. Revision of the fishes collected by Burger and von Siebold in Japan. Zool. Meded. 28: 1–242, pls. 1–5.
Chang, K.-H., K.-T. Shao and S.-C. Lee. 1979. Coastal fishes of Taiwan (I). Inst. Zool., Academia Sinica, Taipei, 151 pp. (In Chinese).
Cheng, C. T. 1963. Girellidae. Pages 339–341in Y. T. Chu, C. L. Chang and C. T. Cheng, eds. Fishes of the East China Sea. Science Press, Beijing. (In Chinese).
Chu, Y. T. and eleven coauthors. 1962. Fishes of the South China Sea. Science Press, Beijing xli+1184 pp. (In Chinese).
Chyung, M. K. 1977. The fishes of Korea. Il Ji Sa Publ. Co., Seoul. 727 pp. 328 pls. (In Korean).
Elera, C. 1895. Catálogo sistemático de toda la Fauna de Filipinas conocida hasta el presente yá la vez el de la Colección Zoológica del Museo de PP. Dominicos del Colegio-Universidad de Sto. Tomás de Manila, & c. Manila, 1: x+701 pp.
Fowler, H. W. 1933. Contributions of the biology of the Philippine archipelago and adjacent regions. The fishes of the families Banjosidae, Lethrinidae, Sparidae, Girellidae, Kyphosidae, Oplegnathidae, Gerridae, Mullidae, Emmelichthyidae, Sciaenidae, Sillaginidae, Arripidae, and Enoplosidae collected by the United States Bureau of Fisheries steamer “Albatross,” chiefly in Philippine seas and adjacent waters. U. S. Natn. Mus. Bull., 100: 186–196.
Gray, J. E. 1835. Illustrations of Indian zoology of new and hitherto unfigured Indian animals from the collection of General Hardwicke, London, 2; pl. 98, figs, 3–4.
Günther, A. 1859. Catalogue of the acanthopterygian fishes in the collection of the British Museum, I. London. xxxii-507 pp.
Herre, A. W. C. T. and H. R. Montalban. 1927. Philippine sparoid and rudder fishes. Philipp. J. Sci. 33: 397–441, pls. 1–9.
Honma, Y. 1952. A list of fishes collected in the Province of Echigo, including Sado Island. Japan. J. Ichthyol., 2: 138–145. (In Japanese).
Hubbs, C. L. and K. F. Lagler. 1974. Fishes of the Great Lakes region. Univ. Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. xv+ 213pp., 44 pls.
Jordan, D. S. and R. E. Richardson. 1909. A catalogue of the fishes of the island of Formosa, or Taiwan, based on the collections of Dr. Hans Sauter. Men. Carnegie Mus., 4: 159–204, pls. 63–74.
Jordan, D. S. and E. C. Starks. 1907. List of fishes recorded from Okinawa or the Riu Kiu Islands of Japan. Proc. U. S. Natn. Mus. 32: 491–504.
Jordan, D. S., S. Tanaka and J. O. Snyder. 1913. A catalogue of the fishes of Japan. J. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, 33, art. 1: 1–497.
Jordan, D. S. and W. F. Thompson. 1912. A review of the Sparidae and related families of perch-like fishes found in the waters of Japan. Proc. U. S. Natn. Mus., 41: 521–601.
Jordan, D. S. and W. F. Thompson. 1914. Record of the fishes obtained in Japan in 1911. Mem. Carnegie Mus., 6: 205–313.
Kanda, M. and K. Yamaoka. 1995. Tooth and gut morphology in relation to feeding in three girellid species (Perciformes, Girellidae) from southern Japan. Nether. J. Zool., 45: 495–512.
Kim, U. Y., Y. M. Kim and Y. S. Kim. 1994. Commercial fishes of the coastal and offshore waters in Korea. National Fisheries Research & Development Agency, Kyongsangnam-do. Korea. 299 pp. (In Korean).
Kobayashi, K.. 1962. Ichthyofauna of Oshoro Bay and adjacent waters. Bull. Fac. Fish. Hokkaido Univ., 12: 253–264.
Kobayashi, K. and M. Igarashi. 1961. Larvae and young ofGirella punctata Gray from Hakodate Bay in southern Hokkaido. Bull. Fac. Fish. Hokkaido Univ., 12: 121–127, pls. 1–3, (In Japanese).
Koizumi, K. 1998. Okinamejina in the Tokuno-shima Island. Isozuri Special of Weekly Sunday Fishing, 28: 84–89, color photos. (In Japanese).
Kurata, Y., T. Mimura and K. Kusadokoro. 1971. Fish fauna of the Ogasawara Islands and the catch tendencies of commercially important fishes. Publ. Tokyo Metro. Fish. Exp. Sta., (216): 1–38. (In Japanese.)
Lee, S. C. and J. T. Chang. 1981. Comparative studies of the fishes of the genusGirella from Taiwan. Bull. Inst. Zool., Acad. Sini, 20: 9–16.
Leviton, A. E., R. H. Gibbs, Jr. E. Heal and C. E. Dawson, 1985. Standards in herpetology and ichthyology: Part I. Standard symbolic codes for institutional resource collections in herpetology and ichthyology. Copeia, 1985: 802–832.
Liu, M. 1985. Girellidae. Pages 219–220in Y. T. Chu, ed. The fishes of Fujian Province, pt. II. Fujian Sci. Tech. Press, Fujian.
Matsubara, K. 1955. Fish morphology and hierarchy, pt. 1, Ishizakishoten, Tokyo, xi+789 pp. (In Japanese).
Nakabo, T. 1993a. Introduction to ichthyology. Pages viii-xxiiiin T. Nakabo, ed. Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species. Tokai University Press, Tokyo. (In Japanese).
Nakabo, T. 1993b. Girellidae. Page 771in T. Nakabo, ed. Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species. Tokai University Press, Tokyo (In Japanese).
Nakabo, T. 1995. Mejina-zoku. Pages 350–362in H. Konishi, ed. Fishes-new color guide for sportfishermen. Weekly Sunday Fishing, Osaka. (In Japanese).
Nomura, Y. and M. Shiogaki. 1988. Fishes collected from the waters of Ushitaki, Shimokita Peninsula. J. Aomoriken Biol. Soc., 25: 22–29. (In Japanese.)
Okada, Y. and K. Matsubara. 1938. Keys to the fish and fish-like animals of Japan. Sanseido, Tokyo. xl+584 pp., 113 pls. (In Japanese.)
Randall, J. E., H. Ida, K. Kato, R. L. Pyle and J. L. Earle. 1997. Annotated checklist of the inshore fishes of the Ogasawara Islands. Natn. Sci. Mus. Monogr. (11), 1–74, pls. 1–19.
Richardson, J. 1846. Report on the ichthyology of the seas of China and Japan. Rep. Brit. Assoc. Advancement Sci., 15th meet. 1845: 187–320.
Shao, K.-T., J.-P. Chen and S.-C. Shen. 1992. Marine fishes of the Ken-Tin National Park. Ken-Ting National Park Headquarters, Construction and Planning Administration, Ministry of Interior, Taiwan, 427 pp. (In Chinese).
Shen, S.-C. 1993. Girellinae. Pages 391–392, pls. 114in S. C. Shen, ed., Fishes of Taiwan, Department of Zoology, National Taiwan Univ., Taipei. (In Chinese.)
Shiogaki, M. 1982. A catalogue of the fishes collected from the waters of Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Bull. Fisher. Exp. Stu. Aomori Pref. (1982): 1–36. (In Japanese.)
Suzuki, K. and T. Kataoka. 1997. Marine fishes of Mie Prefecture, Japan. Toba Aquarium, Toba, 297 pp. 152 pls. (In Japanese.).
Temminck, C. J. and H. Schlegel. 1844. Pisces. Parts V–VI. Pages 73–112in Ph. Fr. von Siebold, ed. Fauna Japonica.
Tsukazaki, S. 1998. Okinamejina. Pages 128–129, color photoin T. Nakabo and K. Mochizuki, eds. The encyclopaedia of animals in Japan, 6: Bony fishes. Heibonsha Limited Publishers, Tokyo. (In Japanese.)
Whitehead, P. J. P. 1970. The Reeves collection of Chinese fish drawing. Bull. Brit. Mus. Natr. Hist. (Hist. Ser.), 3: 191–233, pls. 1–29.
Yamada, U., S. Shirai, T. Irie, M. Tokimura, S.-M. Deng, Y.-J. Zheng, C.-S. Li, Y. K. Kim and Y. S. Kim. 1995. Names and illustrations of fishes from the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea-Japanese. Chinese Korean-Overseas Fishery Coop. Found. Tokyo. 288 pp.
Yamaguchi, T. 1997. Kawahara Keiga and natural history of Japan I. Fish volume of Fauna Japonica. Calanus, (12): 1–250, pls. 1–145.
Zama, A. and F. Yasuda. 1979. An annoted list of fishes from the Ogasawara Islands-Supplement 1, with zoogeographical notes on the fish fauna. J. Tokyo Univ. Fish., 65: 139–163.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Yagishita, N., Nakabo, T. Revision of the genusgirella (girellidae) from east asia. Ichthyological Research 47, 119–135 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02684232
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02684232