Pempheris nesogallica Cuvier

Koeda, Keita, Yoshino, Tetsuo, Imai, Hideyuki & Tachihara, Katsunori, 2014, A review of the genus Pempheri s (Perciformes, Pempheridae) of the Red Sea, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3793 (3), pp. 301-330 : 315-317

Pempheris nesogallica Cuvier , in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1831

Fig. 6 ; Tables 1–3, 9 , 10

Pempheris nesogallica Cuvier , in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1831: 306: Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 327: Fricke et al., 2009: 70. Pempheris mangula (not of Cuvier, in Cuvier & Valenciennes): Smith & Heemstra, 1986: 669, pl. 84.

Pempheris vanicolensis (not of Cuvier, in Cuvier & Valenciennes): Randall, 1995: 244, fig. 637: Fricke, 1999: 322.

Diagnosis. Pored lateral-line scales 52–59; scale rows above lateral line 5 1/2; circumpeduncular scales 16; no blackish spot on pectoral fin base; usually only the tip of dorsal fin blackish; chest usually keeled, but sometimes weakly or not at all; eye small, diameter 11.6–12.8% SL, 39.4–42.3% HL; body very deep 46.1–53.4% SL.

Description. Body strongly compressed, body width 6.2–8.7 in SL; body very deep, body depth 1.9–2.1 in SL; head length 3.2–3.5 in SL; snout very short, rounded, snout length 4.1–4.9 in HL; interorbital very narrow, 3.1–3.5 in HL; dorsal outline convex to dorsal fin base, extending somewhat linearly to caudal peduncle; ventral outline convex to anal fin base, extending somewhat linearly to caudal peduncle.

Mouth large and strongly oblique, upper jaw length 1.9 in HL; the maxilla extending to anterior pupil or slightly beyond, but not reaching middle of pupil; maxilla broadly expanded posteriorly, its surface with level; lower jaw projecting beyond upper jaw; narrow band of villiform teeth in jaws.

Scales ctenoid, thin, semicircular in shape, far wider than long, and deciduous; concealed small scales under surface scales; scales of ventral area larger than those of dorsal area; almost all parts of head scaled, except for just anterior to orbit; about one-third of basal part of anal fin covered with small scales; scales above lateral line more deciduous; pored lateral-line scales adherent, running parallel to dorsal outline to middle of caudal fin.

Coloration when fresh. Body scales silver, their posterior edge copperish; tip of dorsal fin distinctly blackish, the rest faintly orange; tip or anterior half of anal fin rarely blackish, the rest pale; paired fins pink; posterior margin of caudal fin dusky, the rest orange ( Randall, 1995).

Coloration when preserved. Body scales light to dark brown; areas missing scales pale brown with irregular vertical lines marking scale pockets; black pigmentation on dorsal fin persistent; black pigmentation on anal and caudal fins usually persistent, but sometimes only faintly visible or not discernable; paired fins hyaline.

Comparisons. Pempheris nesogallica and P. mangula have frequently been confused, but the former species can be distinguished from the latter species by a smaller eye, diameter 39.4–42.3% HL, mean 41.1% (vs 43.6–51.5%, mean 45.6%), and no stripes on side of the body (usually irregular faint longitudinal light stripes), 5 1/ 2 scale rows above lateral line (vs 4 1/2–5 1/ 2 in P. mangula ). This species also differs from P. vanicolensis in having 52–59 pored lateral-line scales (vs 57–65), a deeper body, 46.1–53.4% SL, mean 49.1% (42.4–46.3%, mean 43.2%), hyaline pectoral fins (vs bright yellow pectoral fins), and no blackish band on anal fin (vs blackish band on anal fin outer margin).

Remarks. Two syntypes were allocated to P. nesogallica Cuvier (MNHN A222, MNHN B2514). However, these two specimens are of two different species, and one of them (MNHN A222) has the same characters as P. mangula . Thus, we select MNHN B2514 as lectotype of P. nesogallica . Fricke et al. (2009) reported P. nesogallica from Réunion, and Mauritius. There are no specimen descriptions, and it is thus difficult to comment on the validity of this record. Randall (1995) reported P. vanicolensis from Oman, and gave two color photographs (Figs. 637 and 638). However, one photographed specimen (Fig. 637: BPBM 36341) had been reidentified as P. nesogallica in present study, and the other photo (Fig. 638) seems to be of an assemblage of P. tominagai , based on the blackish band at the anal fin base (see below).

Distribution. Pempheris nesogallica is widely distributed in the Western Indian Ocean, but has only been collected from the southern part of the Red Sea.

P. nesogallica P. nesogallica P. nesogallica Lectotype Non-types Paralectotype Number of Individuals 1 25 1

Standard length (mm) 130.3 89.6–116.8 138.6 As % of standard length

Head length 30.0 28.5–31.2 (29.9) 30.9 Head depth 34.6 33.6–37.0 (35.7) 34.5 Snout length 6.2 6.3–7.3 (6.9) 6.5 Eye diameter 12.3 11.6–12.8 (12.3) 14.4 Interorbital width 8.5 8.4–10.1 (9.3) 8.6 Upper jaw length 15.4 15.0–16.5 (15.6) 16.5 Predorsal length 40.8 37.8–40.4 (39.4) 41.7 Prepelvic length 40.0 37.5–40.7 (39.3) 41.0 Preanal length 55.4 50.5–56.0 (53.7) 51.8 Body depth 46.9 46.1–53.4 (49.1) 44.6 Dorsal-fin length damaged 23.4–25.0 (24.0) 25.2 Anal-fin length damaged 14.3 damaged Pectoral-fin length 24.6 24.1–27.1 (25.5) 25.2 Pelvic-fin length 13.1 12.7–14.4 (13.6) damaged Dorsal-fin base 16.2 16.1–18.0 (17.2) 15.1 Anal-fin base 53.1 51.4–56.1 (53.7) 52.5 Caudal-peduncle length 9.2 8.1–10.2 (9.3) 10.1 Caudal-peduncle depth 8.5 8.9–10.2 (9.4) 7.9 Length of dorsal-fin origin to pelvic-fin origin 45.4 44.5–47.5 (46.0) 44.6 Length of dorsal-fin origin to anal-fin insertion 59.8 58.5–63.1 (60.1) 54.7 Length of pelvic-fin origin to anal-fin origin 16.9 14.0–17.9 (15.9) 16.5 Body width 11.5 14.3–16.2 (15.1) 11.5 As % of head length

Snout length 20.5 21.9–24.2 (23.1) 20.9 Eye diameter 41.0 39.4–42.3 (41.1) 46.5 Interorbital width 28.2 29.0–32.4 (31.1) 27.9 Upper jaw length 51.3 51.4–53.1 (52.3) 53.5

Figures

FIGURE 6 a. Lectotype of Pempheris nesogallica (MNHN B 2514), 130.3 mm SL, Mauritius. b: Former syntype of P. nesogallica (MNHN A 222), reidentified as P. mangula, 114.3 mm SL, Mauritius.

Tables

TABLE 9. Counts of Pempheris nesogallica, lectotype (MNHN B 2514), nontypes, and paralectotype (MNHN A 222, reidentified as P. mangula).

	P. nesogallica Lectotype	P. nesogallica Non-types	P. nesogallica Paralectotype
Number of Individuals	1	70	1
Standard length (mm)	130.3	39.7–143.4	138.6
Counts
Dorsal-fin rays	VI, 10	VI, 9–10 rarely 10	VI, 9
Anal-fin rays	III, 39	III, 38–41	III, 39
Pectoral-fin rays	I, 17	I, 16–17	I, 17
Pelvic-fin rays	I, 5	I, 5	I, 5
Caudal-fin rays	9 + 8	9 + 8	9 + 8
Proccurent caudal rays	6 + 4	5–7 + 4–5	6 + 4
Left pored lateral-line scales	56	53–59	56
Right pored lateral-line scales	57	52–59	damaged
Scale rows above lateral line	51/2	51/2	51/2
Scale rows below lateral line	13	12–15	14
Predorsal scales	damaged	30–39	30
Circumpeduncular scales	damaged	16	damaged
Gill rakers	8 + 22	9–10 + 20–22	10 + 22
Vertebrae	10 + 15	10 + 15	10 + 15