Big-eye

description

Epigonus lenimen is originally described based on holotype and nine paratypes from Australia (Whitley 1935). According to a re-examination of Whitley’s type series by Mayer (1974), the paratypes were identified as E. denticulatus in his revision of the genus.

A review of the deepwater cardinalfish genus Epigonus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) of the Western Indian Ocean, with description of two new species

description

Measurements (% SL); counts are given in Table 1. Head length 34.6 – 36.0; head width 16.9 – 18.6; head height 16.9 – 18.2; body depth 23.8 – 24.3; body width 14.2 – 15.2; caudal-peduncle depth 9.4 – 10.3; caudal-peduncle length 25.8 – 28.1; orbital diameter 15.7 – 16.4; interorbital width 9.7 – 9.8; postorbital length 10.2 – 13.3; upper-jaw length 15.2 – 15.4; lower-jaw length 15.7 – 16.2; snout length 7.2 – 8.3; pre-first dorsal-fin length 36.9 – 38.9; presecond dorsal-fin length 57.8 – 58.8; pre-pectoral-fin length 34.1 – 34.5; pre-pelvic-fin length 38.8 – 39.0; pre-anus length 59.1 – 59.6; pre-anal-fin length 66.3 – 66.8; first spine length on first dorsal fin 3.1; second spine length on first dorsal fin 16.1 – 17.4; third spine length on first dorsal fin 16.6 – 18.1; second dorsal-fin spine length 16.7 – 17.7; first anal-fin spine length 4.4 – 5.0; second anal-fin spine length 19.3 – 19.7; pelvic-fin spine length 17.6 – 17.7; first dorsal-fin base length 11.9 – 13.5; second dorsal-fin base length 10.5 – 11.8; anal-fin base length 9.8 – 12.1; pectoralfin length 20.5 – 20.9; pelvic-fin length 20.7 – 22.2.

A review of the deepwater cardinalfish genus Epigonus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) of the Western Indian Ocean, with description of two new species

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Dorsal-fin rays VII-I, 9; pectoral-fin rays 16 – 18; total gill rakers 28 – 33; vertebrae 11 + 14; pyloric caeca 6 – 9; pored lateral-line scales 46 – 49 + 3 – 5; scales below lateral line 9 – 10; pungent opercular spine present; blunt maxillary mustache-like processes present; ribs on last abdominal vertebra present; tongue toothless; no tubercle or two nub-like structures on symphysis of lower jaw; body depth 23.8 – 28.1 % SL; orbital diameter 14.1 – 17.7 % SL; lower-jaw length 14.9 – 16.4 % SL.

A review of the deepwater cardinalfish genus Epigonus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) of the Western Indian Ocean, with description of two new species

distribution

Distribution. Western South Indian Ocean (Parin & Abramov 1986 b; Abramov 1992); New Zealand (Mayer 1974; Paulin et al. 1989; Mochizuki 1990; Stewart & Gon 2015); southern Australia (Mayer 1974; Hutchins 2001; Hoese et al. 2006), at 300 – 1050 m depth. Comparisons and Remarks. Epigonus lenimen belongs to the E. constanciae group by having a pungent opercular spine (Okamoto 2012). This species is similar to E. robustus in having 11 + 14 vertebrae; however, it differs from E. robustus in orbital diameter longer than postorbital length (Fig. 12) (vs. orbital diameter shorter than postorbital length in E. robustus) and in lacking two nub-like structures on the symphysis of lower jaw (vs. present in E. robustus). The other 5 species of the group in the Western Indian Ocean, E. bispinosus, E. idai, E. marimonticolus, E. pectinifer and E. waltersensis, have 10 + 15 vertebrae (vs. 11 + 14 in E. lenimen).

A review of the deepwater cardinalfish genus Epigonus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) of the Western Indian Ocean, with description of two new species