Epigonus draco

description

Epigonus okamotoi FRIcKE, 2017: 117, fIg. 1 – 4 (ORIgInAl dEscRIPTIOn, TyPE lOcAlITy: SOlOmOn SEA, PAPuA NEW GuInEA, WEsT NEW BRITAIn PROvIncE, Off sOuTHWEsTERn NEW BRITAIn, AInTO BAy [06 ° 06 ′ 04.7988 ″ S, 149 ° 12 ′ 12.5136 ″ E; 06 ° 07 ′ 38.3376 ″ S, 149 ° 12 ′ 06.4152 ″ E], WEsTERn SOuTH PAcIfIc [cOllEcTEd duRIng THE MADEEP ExPEdITIOn undER THE TDSB]).

Epigonus okamotoi (Perciformes: Epigonidae), a junior synonym of E. draco, with new distributional records for E. atherinoides and E. lifouensis in the West Pacific

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A species of Epigonus With the folloWing combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays VII – I, 10; pectoral-fin rays 19 – 20; total gill rakers 22 – 23; pyloric caeca 7 – 10; pored lateral-line scales 47 – 49 + 3 – 4; scales beloW lateral line 9; vertebrae 10 + 15; opercular spine present; maxillary mustache-like processes absent; ribs absent on last abdominal vertebra; uppermost margin of pectoral-fin base loWer than horiZontal line through center of eye; proximal radial of first anal-fin pterygiophore slender; and mouth cavity black.

Epigonus okamotoi (Perciformes: Epigonidae), a junior synonym of E. draco, with new distributional records for E. atherinoides and E. lifouensis in the West Pacific

discussion

Remarks. We found additional specimens of E. draco, collected in Papua NeW Guinea, at the National TaiWan University Museums (NTUM). These specimens represent the first record of this species from this locality. Epigonus draco is distributed on continental slopes in the Western and central tropical Pacific, at depths greater than 315 m. …… continued on the next page

Epigonus okamotoi (Perciformes: Epigonidae), a junior synonym of E. draco, with new distributional records for E. atherinoides and E. lifouensis in the West Pacific

distribution

Distribution. KnoWn from the Philippines (IWamoto & McCosker 2014), Papua NeW Guinea (Fricke 2017; this study), Solomon Islands, Vanuatu (Okamoto 2015), and Society Islands (Okamoto 2016), at depths of 391 – 870 m (Fig. 2). Synonymy. Fricke (2017) referred E. okamotoi to the E. constanciae group (sensu Okamoto 2012) based on the presence of a pungent opercular spine. According to Okamoto (2016), this species group comprises 19 species besides E. okamotoi: E. affinis Parin & Abramov 1986; E. atherinoides (Gilbert 1905); E. chilensis Okamoto 2012; E. constanciae (Giglioli 1 880); E. crassicaudus de Buen 1959; E. ctenolepis MochiZuki & Shirakihara 1983; E. draco Okamoto 2015; E. elegans Parin & Abramov 1986; E. heracleus Parin & Abramov 1986; E. lenimen (Whitley 1935); E. machaera Okamoto 2012; E. marimonticolus Parin & Abramov 1986; E. mayeri Okamoto 2011; E. megalops (Smith & Radcliffe in Radcliffe 1912); E. occidentalis Goode & Bean 1896; E. pectinifer Mayer 1974; E. robustus (Barnard 1927); E. thai Prokofiev & BussaraWit in Parin et al. 2012; and E. waltersensis Parin & Abramov 1986. Fricke (2017) stated that E. okamotoi is distinguishable from similar species of this group in hav

Epigonus okamotoi (Perciformes: Epigonidae), a junior synonym of E. draco, with new distributional records for E. atherinoides and E. lifouensis in the West Pacific