Plectranthias alcocki

distribution

Distribution: Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, off Kerala coast, India.

Annotated checklist of anthiadine fishes (Percoidei: Serranidae)

materials_examined

Holotype: CMFRIGB 31.139.30.10, 72.2 mm SL. Type locality: off Kollam, Kerala coast, India, southeastern Arabian Sea, depth 180 to 320 meters. Illustrations: Bineesh et al., 2014: 492, fig. 2; 493, figs. 3 & 4. D: X, 15. A: III, 7. P: 14. GR: 16 (5 + 11). LL: 28. CP: 10.

Annotated checklist of anthiadine fishes (Percoidei: Serranidae)

description

Description. Dorsal-fin rays X, 15 (all rays branched, the last to base); anal-fin rays III, 7 (all rays branched); pectoral-fin rays 14 (both sides counted; all unbranched); pelvic-fin rays I, 5; 4 th dorsal spine longest 16.5 (18.8) % SL, 2.8 (2.6) in HL; short cirrus behind tips of 3 rd spine; caudal-fin rays broken, but possibly slightly emarginate, principal rays 19, branched rays 17; lateral line complete, not interrupted with 28 pored scales; one row of scales above lateral-line to origin of dorsal fin; circumpeduncular scales 10; gill rakers 5 + 11 (2 + 7 developed), first lower-limb gill raker on first gill arch adjacent to raker at angle longest, its length one-half orbit diameter; branchiostegal rays 7. Body moderately elongate, depth 1.3 (1.4) in HL, 34.4 (35) % SL; and compressed, the width 2.1 (2.2) in body depth; head pointed, the lower jaw slightly projecting; dorsal profile of head smoothly convex; head length 46 (49.8) % SL, 2.2 (2) in SL; snout length 4.9 (5.2) in head; orbit diameter 4 (4.3) in HL; interorbital space flat, the least bony width 11.5 (10.8) in HL; least depth of caudal peduncle 3.6 (4.3) in HL; caudal peduncle length 2.3 (2.4) in HL. Opercle with

Plectranthias alcocki, a new anthiine fish species (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Arabian Sea, off southwest India

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A species of Plectranthias with the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays X, 15; anal-fin rays III, 7; pectoral-fin rays 14; pelvic-fin rays I, 5; lateral-line complete, the pored scales 28; scales above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 1; scales dorsally on head extending to posterior nostrils; no scales on maxilla or chin; gill-rakers 5 + 11 (2 + 7 developed); circumpeduncular scales 10; fourth dorsal spine longest, 2.8 (2.6) in HL, body depth 34.4 (35) % SL; head length 46 (49.8) % SL; orbit diameter 8.6 in SL; margin of preopercle finely serrate, the serrae 33 (28), ventral edge without antrorse spines; dorsal fin slightly notched and continuous, with longest dorsal soft ray (second) 2.4 (2.7) in HL; first anal-fin spine 4.9 (5.6) in HL, second anal spine 2.2 (2.6) in HL; the dorsal fin with a black blotch at base of fourth to eighth spines, one at base of the last three spines, and two at base of soft portion of fin, the dark pigment extending onto adjacent body.

Plectranthias alcocki, a new anthiine fish species (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Arabian Sea, off southwest India