identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
0EADD278842A56CE835756F979292AAE.text	0EADD278842A56CE835756F979292AAE.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Plectranthias raki Shepherd & Pinheiro & Najeeb & Rocha & Rocha 2025	<html xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
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            <p> Plectranthias raki sp. nov.</p>
            <p>Figs 1, 2, Table 1 Dhivehi common name: Raki bureki English common name: Maldivian Perchlet</p>
            <p>Type locality.</p>
            <p>Maldives.</p>
            <p>Material examined.</p>
            <p>
                  Holotype. • CAS - ICH 248439 (Field number LAR 2951) 66.2 mm SL, GenBank PQ 416576. Location:  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 72.98333/lat 4.256111)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=72.98333&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=4.256111">Kuramathi Outer Reef</a>
                 , Rasdhoo Atoll, Maldives 4°15'22"N, 72°59'00"E, depth of collection 118 m, collected with hand nets by B Shepherd, HT Pinheiro, MV Bell, and LA Rocha, 9 December 2022  .  Paratype. • LACM 61827 (Field number LAR 2952) 70.4 mm SL, GenBank PQ 416577. Same collection data as holotype . 
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            <p>Diagnosis.</p>
            <p> Plectranthias raki sp. nov. is unique in both morphology and coloration. The following combination of characters distinguishes it from all known congeners: dorsal fin X, 15; anal-fin rays III, 7; pectoral-fin rays 13 | 13 (13 | 12), all unbranched; principal caudal-fin rays 9 + 8; lateral line complete with 30–32 tubed scales; 3 supraneural bones, predorsal formula 0 / 0 + 0 / 2 / 1 + 1 / 1 / 1 /; gill rakers 5 + 12; circumpeduncular scales 11–12; oblique rows of scales on cheek 8 (7); longest dorsal spine the 4 th or 5 th; no fleshy tips on the dorsal-fin spines; no antrorse serrations on preopercle. Live coloration consisting of a series of irregularly shaped patches of red-orange along dorsal two-thirds of body; patches divided into two indistinct rows by the lateral line; patches red-orange dorsally and posteriorly, becoming more yellow-orange anteriorly and ventrally, golden yellow on opercle and maxilla; anal fin pointed, mostly white proximally, yellow distally, with two yellow spots approximately one-third orbit diameter at base of third spine and fifth and sixth soft rays; two irregularly shaped yellow-orange spots, approximately one-third orbit diameter, located on either side of centermost caudal-fin rays; small orange spot, approximately one-half orbit diameter, at base of pelvic fin. </p>
            <p>Description.</p>
            <p>Dorsal rays X, 15, all segmented rays branched; anal rays III, 7, all segmented rays branched; pectoral-fin rays 13 | 13 (13 | 12), all unbranched; pectoral fin moderately long, longest ray reaching to vertical above midpoint of anal fin; pelvic-fin I, 5; upper procurrent caudal-fin rays 6; lower procurrent caudal-fin rays 4; principal caudal-fin rays 9 + 8; branched caudal-fin rays 9 + 7 (8 +?); lateral line complete with 32 (30) tubed scales on the left side; scales above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 3; scales above lateral line to base of middle dorsal spine 2; scales below lateral line to origin of anal fin 10; oblique rows of scales on cheek 8 (7); circumpeduncular scales 11 (12); gill rakers 5 + 12, the upper 4 and lower 3 rudiments; pseudobranchial filaments 18 (15); branchiostegal rays 7. Vertebrae 10 + 16; supraneural (predorsal) bones 3; predorsal formula 0 / 0 + 0 / 2 / 1 + 1 / 1 / 1 /; dorsal pterygiophores in interneural spaces 9–13 1 / 1 / 1 + 1 / 1 + 1 / 1; no trisegmental pterygiophores associated with dorsal fin; terminal dorsal pterygiophore in interneural space 18; no trisegmental pterygiophores associated with anal fin; terminal anal pterygiophore in interhaemal space 5; ribs present on vertebrae 3 through 10; epineurals present on vertebrae 1 through 12 (possibly 13); parhypural and hypurals autogenous; well-developed hypurapophysis on parhypural; epurals 3; single uroneural (posterior uroneural absent); ventral tip of cleithrum with well-developed posteroventral process; proximal tip of first anal-fin pterygiophore near distal tips of parapophyses on vertebra 10.</p>
            <p>Body moderately deep, the depth 2.7 in SL, and compressed, the width 2.2 in depth; head fairly short, 2.2 (2.1) in SL; dorsal fin originates at a vertical line just above the third lateral line scale; dorsal fin continuous and notched between the spinous and soft portions to about half of the length of the first soft ray; dorsal-fin spines without fleshy tabs on the tips; dorsal-fin base length 3.2 (2.1) in SL; the fourth and fifth dorsal spines the longest and the same length in the holotype (the fourth the longest on the paratype); third dorsal-fin soft ray the longest, with extended filament; anal-fin base length 6.0 (5.7) in SL; second anal-fin spine the longest; anal fin pointed with the third segmented ray the longest; pectoral fin moderately long and pointed, 2.9 (2.7) in SL; pelvic fin relatively short, 4.0 (4.2) in SL, and not reaching anus; caudal fin slightly emarginate, with several filaments on elongated ray branches (caudal fin in paratype damaged); caudal peduncle length 3.9 (5.1) in HL; caudal peduncle depth 3.7 (4.2) in HL.</p>
            <p>Morphometric values are summarized in Table 1.</p>
            <p>Head of moderate size, 2.2 (2.1) in SL; snout pointed, 3.4 (3.9) in HL; mouth relatively large, terminal and oblique, the posterior margin of maxilla reaching to vertical line almost directly beneath the center of pupil; upper jaw length 2.3 (2.5) in HL; maxilla expanded posteriorly; upper jaw with one large canine on each corner; 5 irregular rows of villiform teeth, largest in back, the teeth on the last row as big as the front canines; lower jaw with one small canine on either side of symphysis and 4–5 irregular rows of villiform teeth, the largest in the back; a pair of enlarged canines on each side of the dentary; teeth on the last row as big as the canines; palatine with 4 rows of small villiform teeth; vomer with 5 rows of villiform teeth.</p>
            <p>Opercle with 3 spines, the middle one the largest, sharp and pointed, and terminating most posteriorly, the upper one obscured by scales; posterior margin of preopercle with 26 serrae; ventral margin of preopercle smooth and without conspicuous antrorse or retrorse spines; posterior margins of interopercle and subopercle smooth, obscured by scales; posttemporal with 3 small serrations; lower margin of infraorbital 1 smooth; anterior nostril located close to the anterior margin of orbit, with a small flap; posterior nostril located adjacent to anterior border of orbit, without flap.</p>
            <p>Scales ctenoid with peripheral cteni; lateral line broadly arched over pectoral fin, following body contour beneath dorsal fin to caudal-fin base; scales between eyes; no scales on maxilla, chin, mandible, lower part of snout, or branchiostegal rays; scales on head starting above the center of the eyes; triangular shaped patch of 6 rows of scales on pectoral fin, extending approximately ¼ – ⅓ length of fin, extending furthest on 7 th and 8 th rays; scales on basal fourth of caudal fin; anal fin with one row of scales along anterior half of base; all other fins without scales.</p>
            <p>Coloration when fresh: (Figs 1 A, C, 2) Body pinkish-white with a series of irregularly shaped patches of red-orange along dorsal two-thirds of body; patches red-orange dorsally and posteriorly, becoming more yellow-orange anteriorly and ventrally; patches are golden yellow on opercle, especially on maxilla; one indistinct yellow stripe crossing opercle diagonally from bottom edge of eye; indistinct orange-red stripe extending from anterior margin of eye to upper lip; orbit white with indistinct yellow stripe through pupil, a continuation of the red-orange stripe originating at the snout tip; sharp break in orange-colored body-patches along lateral line, forming two distinct rows; this is especially pronounced in living specimens; patches above lateral line smaller and associated with pairs or trios of dorsal-fin spines and rays, creating an alternating pattern of five orange spots interspersed with white areas along the base of dorsal fin; patches below the lateral line are larger and more irregular in shape and distribution anteriorly, more rectangular and uniform on posterior half of body; throat and belly white; dorsal fin white at base; interspinous membranes of dorsal fin mostly yellow, white proximally, hyaline distally; membranes of soft dorsal mostly white with yellow stripe roughly midway from body and following contour of body; dorsal spines yellow, rays with yellow tips; anal fin mostly white proximally, yellow distally, with two yellow spots approximately one-third orbit diameter at base of third spine and fifth and sixth soft rays; anal-fin spines white; pelvic fins white proximally, hyaline distally, with yellow-orange spot at base of spine; pectoral fin white to hyaline, with orange spot, approximately one-half diameter of orbit, at fin base; caudal fin white at origin, becoming pale yellow distally, with two irregularly shaped yellow-orange spots, approximately one-third orbit diameter, located on either side of centermost fin rays; additional, smaller spots of similar coloration distally; tips of caudal-fin rays yellow; proximal half of dorsalmost and ventralmost caudal-fin rays yellow-orange.</p>
            <p>Color in alcohol: Uniform pale golden-brown with no distinct markings. Scattered melanophores on the nape and along base of dorsal fin (denser on the nape).</p>
            <p>Etymology.</p>
            <p> The species name,  raki , means “ feeling shy to confront people ” in the Dhivehi language. This was chosen because  Plectranthias are shy by nature and typically hide from us when we are conducting surveys. To be treated as a noun in apposition. </p>
            <p>Distribution and habitat.</p>
            <p> Plectranthias raki sp. nov. is known only from the Maldives, where it is likely widespread. It was seen inhabiting small holes of reef walls at several locations between Rasdhoo (4°15'N, 72°57'E) and Dhaalu atolls (2°41'N, 72°51'E) at approximately 100 to 125 m depth. </p>
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	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0EADD278842A56CE835756F979292AAE	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Shepherd, Bart;Pinheiro, Hudson T.;Najeeb, Ahmed;Rocha, Claudia R.;Rocha, Luiz A.	Shepherd, Bart, Pinheiro, Hudson T., Najeeb, Ahmed, Rocha, Claudia R., Rocha, Luiz A. (2025): Plectranthias raki (Teleostei, Serranidae), a new species of perchlet from mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Maldives. ZooKeys 1223: 333-344, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1223.135292
