Striped stingfish

description

Figures 9 D – F, 10, 13 D, E, 14 – 18, 19 G – K, 20 E, 24 B; Tables 1 – 5, 7

Three new species of the Indo-Pacific stingfish genus Minous (Synanceiidae: Minoinae) with redescriptions of M. trachycephalus (Bleeker 1855) and M. pictus Günther 1880

description

Note on the holotype. Minous trachycephalus was originally described by Bleeker (1855) (as Aploactis trachycephalus) based only the holotype from Manado, Sulawesi, Indonesia, stating “ Longitudo speciminis unici 75 ′′′. [Length (= total length) of the single specimen 75 mm] ”. Subsequently, Hubrecht (1879) reported a total of eight Bleeker specimens of M. trachycephalus (group A, 5 specimens; group B, 2 specimens; group C, 1 specimen). Five group A specimens were originally registered as RMNH. PISC. 5901 [55.9 mm SL (caudal fin broken), 53.9 mm SL (caudal fin broken), 52.0 mm SL (65.7 mm TL), 45.9 mm SL (caudal fin broken) and 33.1 mm SL (44.4 mm TL)] (Fig. 17 A – E). Another Bleeker specimen of A. trachycephalus is registered as BMNH 1880.4.21.110 [43.8 mm SL (59.5 mm TL)] (Fig. 17 F). According to Hubrecht (1879), the primary type specimen was included within group A, Eschmeyer et al. (1979) also pointing out that the holotype of A. trachycephalus was included in RMNH. PISC. 5901 (mixed up with four non-type specimens). Among the original five specimens of RMNH. PISC. 5901, the total lengths (65.7 mm TL and 44.4 mm TL) of 52.0 mm-SL and 33.1 mm-SL specimens are inconsistent with

Three new species of the Indo-Pacific stingfish genus Minous (Synanceiidae: Minoinae) with redescriptions of M. trachycephalus (Bleeker 1855) and M. pictus Günther 1880

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A species of Minous distinguished from other congeners by the following combination of characters: 1 st dorsal-fin spine much shorter than 2 nd dorsal-fin spine, their bases close together; dorsal-fin rays X or XI, 9 – 11 (modally XI, 10), total rays 20 – 23 (21); anal-fin rays I – III, 7 – 9 (II, 8), total rays 9 – 11 (10); anterior and posterior lacrimal spines sharp, anterior spine tip canted anteroventrally, posterior spine tip usually canted ventrally to posteroventrally (angle to horizontal axil of head and body variable) but never curved anteroventrally as in M. roseus; body grayish dorsally (Figs. 14, 15), without oblique alternating dark and light stripes; pectoral fin inner surface with many dark bordered bright yellow (whitish in preserved specimens) blotches basally, forming somewhat hexagonal pattern when fresh, distal portion largely yellow (whitish) when fresh (Figs. 13 E, 16); pore above pectoral-fin base with or without short blunt rounded skin flap.

Three new species of the Indo-Pacific stingfish genus Minous (Synanceiidae: Minoinae) with redescriptions of M. trachycephalus (Bleeker 1855) and M. pictus Günther 1880

discussion

Remarks. Meristic and morphometric values taken from examined specimens are given in Tables 1 – 5, 7. The other meristic values without individual variations are as follows: pectoral-fin rays 12; pelvic fin rays I, 5; vertebrae 11 + 14 = 25. An underwater photograph reported by Allen et al. (2003) as M. pictus was identified here as M. trachycephalus, lacking oblique alternating dark and light stripes on the body and a longitudinal yellow band on the dorsal fin (see Species comparisons). Although Naranji et al. (2017) recorded M. pictus from India, their photograph is also identical with M. trachycephalus, based on the diagnostic coloration of the dorsal fin and pectoral fin inner surface. However, Naranji et al. ’ s (2017) description of highly variable coloration on the pectoral fin inner surface and broad range of dorsal-fin ray meristics (IX – XII, 9 – 13) suggests that their materials included several species of Minous. Variations in diagnostic characters. Individual or geographical variations in several morphological features were apparent in the examined specimens of M. trachycephalus. Specimens from Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo) differed from those from the Andaman Sea by having

Three new species of the Indo-Pacific stingfish genus Minous (Synanceiidae: Minoinae) with redescriptions of M. trachycephalus (Bleeker 1855) and M. pictus Günther 1880