Siphamia tubifer Weber

Gon, Ofer & Allen, Gerald R., 2012, 3294, Zootaxa 3294, pp. 1-84 : 72-74

Siphamia tubifer Weber

Figures 33, 34

Siphamia tubifer Weber, 1909: 168 (type locality, Timor; lectotype ZMA 112.200 ).

Apogon tubulatus Weber, 1909: 160 , in part (2 syntypes, ZMA 101.328 from Selayar Island and 101.330 from Sumbawa Island).

Amia versicolor Smith and Radcliffe, 1911: 257 , fig. 3 (type locality, Cataingan Bay , Masbate, Philippines; holotype, USNM 68401 ).

Siphamia cuprea Lachner, 1953: 423 , fig. 72 (type locality, Cataingan Bay , Masbate, Philippines; holotype, USNM 112043 ).

Siphamia ovalis Lachner, 1953: 427 , fig. 74 (type locality, Bubuan Island , Mindoro Sea, Philippines; holotype, USNM 112044 ).

Siphamia permutata Klausewitz, 1966: 217 , figs. 1–3 (type locality, Al-Ghardaqa , Egypt, Red Sea; holotype, SMF 8265 ).

Diagnosis: Dorsal rays VII+I,9; anal rays II,8; pectoral rays 14–16; tubed lateral-line scales 20–24; median predorsal scales 4 (rarely 3 or 5); total gill rakers 2–4 + 8–10 = 11–14; developed gill rakers 1 + 7–9; gill rakers on ceratobranchial 7–8. Body depth 2.3–2.7 in SL and body width 1.9–2.2 in the depth; eye diameter 2.6–3.5 in head length; first dorsal spine 2.4–4.6 in second spine; second dorsal spine 3.7–6.6, spine of second dorsal fin 3.7–5.4, and second anal spine 5.0–7.0, all in head length; pectoral-fin length 4.2–5.3 and pelvic-fin length 4.2–4.7 in SL; caudalpeduncle length 1.5–2.1 in distance between pelvic spine insertion and anal-fin origin. Preopercular edge with 23–35 serrations; preopercular ridge smooth. Scales mostly spinoid, but some cycloid scales on anterior part of body. Vomer and palatines with 1–2 series of small teeth, but palatines sometimes toothless. Tip of light organ on each side of tongue bound by membrane.

Colour in life (from underwater slides by G.R. Allen and S. Bogorodsky): head and body dark brown ( Fig. 34a,

d, e); when stressed, body silvery with orange hue, peppered with small dark dots, and usually with three dark brown stripes more or less equal in width to interspaces ( Fig. 34b); fins clear, tinged with orange in both colour variants. One photo identified as this species ( Fig. 34c), from Waigeo Island, shows an individual with stripes distinctly narrower than interspaces and little orange pigment.

Colour when fresh (from colour slides by J.E. Randall and J.T. Williams): silvery or pale brown, with variable amount of dark dots of various sizes overlaid with scattered orange-brown dots mostly on body; dark dots on body and head may expand and join each other to form dark markings; posterior part of premaxilla black; branchiostegal rays with dark dots; fins with orange-brown dots mostly along margins of spines and rays; dorsal and pelvic fin spines usually with dark dots, sometimes joined into narrow line on individual spines; light organ silvery with dark vertical or slanted striations ( Fig. 34f).

Colour in alcohol: variable; body pale to dark brown with darker dots, or with three dark stripes typical for the S. tubifer species group (see genus account above); fins usually pale, but first dorsal fin spines with variable amount of dark dots; pelvic-fin base usually dark; peritoneum with dark dots of various sizes; intestine and stomach with dark spots, or dark brown.

Smallest specimen, ANSP 162212 , 14.2 mm, from Cocos-Keeling Islands , and largest specimen examined, CSIRO H4144-07 , 41.2 mm, from Cape York, Queensland .

Remarks: See Tables 1–3 for frequency distributions of pectoral rays, lateral-line scales and gill rakers. One specimen (of 39) had three median predorsal scales and three others had five scales. Only one specimen (of 86) had two gill rakers (one developed and one rudiment) on the upper limb of the first gill arch, and only two specimens had a total gill-raker count of 11 (3+8). In preserved material the intensity of the dark stripes may vary both between individuals and on the same fish. One or more stripes of individual fish may also appear incomplete. Stripes are usually about equal in width to pale interspaces, but we have also come across fish with narrow stripes ( Fig. 34c) that we could not differentiate morphologically from the others (see comments on species complexes under the genus Siphamia above). The dark dots on the first dorsal fin spines usually do not extend farther than the lower third of the fin. The intestine sometimes has a pale section in the area between the anus and its second loop.

Siphamia tubifer was the first species described with a striated light organ and is the name-bearer of the S. tubifer species group. It shares a complete lateral line and a similar count of developed gill rakers with S. argentea and S. guttulata ( Tables 2, 3). The former species differs from S. tubifer in having 13 pectoral-fin rays and a mottled colour pattern; S. guttulata differs from it in having 0–1 median predorsal scales, 2 supraneural bones (1 in S. tubifer ) and a preopercular edge serrated only around the angle.

There is disagreement in the literature regarding the number of specimens in the type series. Weber (1909) did not specify the number of specimens he used for the original description, but in the description of S. tubifer in the report on the fishes collected by the Siboga Expedition ( Weber 1913: 243) he listed five specimens, 27–40 mm. The type catalogue of the fish collection of the University of Amsterdam ( Nijssen et al. 1982, 1993) and Eschmeyer (2009) refer to three syntypes. In a May 2000 visit to the University of Amsterdam the first author found four syntypes in ZMA 112.200. This number of specimens was confirmed again in November 2006 (R. Vonk, Curator of Ichthyology and Herpetology, ZMA, in litt.). We designate the second largest specimen (28.7 mm SL; 35.9 mm TL) in this lot as the lectotype of Siphamia tubifer because it is in the best condition and has all its fin spines intact. We examined the type material of Amia versicolor , Siphamia cuprea , S. ovalis and S. permutata , and found no morphological differences that distinguish them from one another and from S. tubifer . We therefore consider them junior synonyms of the latter species. See Remarks for S. tubulata below for assigning the two syntypes of this species to the synonymy of S. tubifer .

This species is the most widespread in the genus and is found throughout the Indo-West Pacific region ( Fig. 6). In the Indian Ocean it has been recorded from the Red Sea south to Madagascar and east through the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India to the Andaman Sea Islands and Western Australia. In the West Pacific Ocean it is known from the Ryukyu Islands south through the Indo-Malayan region to New South Wales, Australia, and Vanuatu. It was collected at depths ranging from 0.5 to 100 m, usually associated with sea urchins of the genus Diadema , but was also found among the spines of Acanthaster planci .

Material examined: RED SEA: Gulf of Aqaba , BPBM 37810 , 25.1 mm ; SMF 8265 , 26.8 mm SL (holotype of Siphamia permutata ) ; SMF 8266–70 , 5 : 17.6–23.5 mm SL (paratypes of Siphamia permutata ) ; TAU P.4552, 2: 24.0–28.0 mm; TAU P.5543, 23.0 mm; TAU P.10028, 29.0 mm; TAU P.10042, 26.0 mm; USNM 357891 , 11 : 18.0– 29.6 mm ; USNM 357892 , 17 : 19.6– 18.8 mm ; USNM 357893 , 5 : 10.2–27.9 mm ; USNM 357896 , 3 : 22.8–32.4 mm ; ZSM 24104, 5 : 15.0– 19.6 mm. Sanafir Island, HUJ 11752, 33: 22.5–37.4 mm; Tiran Island , TAU P.8691, 6: 19.0–35.0 mm; TAU P.8761, 2: 17.5–30.0 mm; TAU P.8762, 9: 14.5–29.5 mm; TAU P.8989, 37.0 mm. Ras Muhammad, HUJ 11073, 12: 18.8–26.9 mm. Ghardaqa , USNM 357894 , 20.7 mm. Farasan Archipelago, Gomah Island , SMF 33578, 16.4 mm ; SMF 33611, 17.3 mm . GULF OF ADEN: Socotra Island , SAIAB 99439 , 21.0 mm ; SAIAB 99440 , 22.8 mm ; SAIAB 99441 , 20.8 mm ; SAIAB 99442 , 23.5 mm ; SMF 33646, 4 : 22.0- 28.5 mm. SEYCHELLES: Mahe , SAIAB 62772 , 22 : 16.3–34.2 mm. COMORO ISLANDS: Mayotte , ROM 59347, 2 : 14.6–15.7 mm. MADAGASCAR: Ambavatoby Bay , WAM P.32031-001, 6: 20.9–25.2 mm. MALDIVE ISLANDS: Male Atoll , SAIAB 96679 , 2 : 13.6–14.0 mm. SRI LANKA: Trincomalee , USNM 357999 , 10 : 20.9–27.4 mm. INDIA: Andaman Islands, near Little Andaman Island , USNM 357897 , 13 : 24.5–39.2 mm ; USNM 357898 , 3 : 25.5–32.5 mm. North of Nicobar Islands , USNM 197566 , 6 : 16.7–24.5 mm. Nicobar Islands, Nancouri Harbour , CAS 39979, 2 : 14.3- 1.7 mm. THAILAND: Andaman Sea , Phuket , ROM 71577, 19.2 mm. Ko Hi , ROM 70491, 29.0 mm ; ROM 71578, 4 : 18.5–26.4 mm. MALAYSIA: Tioman Island , BPBM 21905 , 3 : 19.15–30.6 mm. INDONESIA: Mentawai Islands, Sipura Island , WAM P.28136-001, 39.7 mm. Lombok , NTM S.11339-003, 29.6 mm. Sumbawa Island, Sape Channel , ZMA 101.330 , 26.6 mm (Syntype of Apogon tubulatus ). Kepulauan Sabalana , BMNH 1984.10 .16.6, 36.5 mm ; WAM P.28043-002, 29.8 mm. Sulawesi, Kodingareng keke Island , BPBM 26802 , 28.2 mm. Selayar Island , ZMA 101.328 , 26.1 mm (Syntype of Apogon tubulatus ). Flores, Maumere , AMS I.34502-049, 31.0 mm. Adonara Island , BPBM 37345 , 5 : 15.7–20.7 mm. Ambon Island , BPBM 41000 , 2 : 17.9–23.75 mm ; USNM 209784 , 28.7 mm. COCOS-KEELING ISLANDS: West Island , ANSP 162212 , 2 : 14.2–18.2 mm . TIMOR: ZMA 112.200 , 28.7 mm (lectotype) ; ZMA 123.871 , 3 : 18.9–30.3 mm (paralectotypes) . SOUTH CHINA SEA: Macclesfield Bank , USNM 261174 , 20 mm. JAPAN: Ryukyu Islands , Okinawa , BPBM 19081 , 7 : 18.7–31.9 mm ; BPBM 22314 , 33.0 mm. PHILIPPINES: Luzon, NE of Bolinao, Santiago Islands , AMS I.21903-048, 2: 18.2–27.7 mm and Lingayan Gulf , Pangasinan , ROM 48579, 2 : 17.8–20.0 mm ; USNM 357884 , 15 : 16.5–34.8 mm ; USNM 357886 , 5 : 25.6–37.2 mm. Batangas, Anilao , USNM 357885 , 23.2 mm. Caban Island , AMS I.21914-031, 36.5 mm; AMS I.21918-007, 2: 17.9–26.6 mm; USNM 374497 , 2 : 17.9–24.9 mm. Mindoro, Bubuan Island , USNM 112044 , 28.4 mm (holotype of Siphamia ovalis ) ; USNM 112101 , 3 : 24.1–27.9 mm (paratypes of Siphamia ovalis ); and Tlin Island , AMS I.40151-034, 2: 18.0– 23.9 mm. Masbate Island, Cataingan Bay , USNM 68401 , 29.6 mm (holotype of Amia versicolor ) ; USNM 112043 , 23.4 mm (holotype of Siphamia cuprea ) ; USNM 112094 , 32 : 15.6–29.9 mm (paratypes of Siphamia cuprea ) ; USNM 112268 , 24 mm ; USNM 112269 , 10 : 19.0– 29.5 mm. Off eastern Panay, Antonia Island , USNM 112315 , 23.0 mm. Negros Island , BPBM 28547 , 9 : 22.5—30.6 mm. Siquijor Island , USNM 262445 , 27.2 mm ; USNM 262447 , 7 : 19.0– 34.5 mm. Bohol Sea , ROM 54018, 27.4 mm ; ROM 54019, 22.6 mm. Sulu Archipelago, Jolo Light , USNM 112314 , 21.9 mm ; USNM 112315 , 22.8 mm ; USNM 112091 , 2 : 24.1–26.1 mm and Usada Island , USNM 112092 , 2 : 24.0– 27.5 mm (both lots paratypes of Siphamia cuprea ). Sirun Island , USNM 112100 , 2 : 28.6–30.3 mm (paratypes of Siphamia cuprea ). PALAU : CAS 84356, 19 : 14.5-25.2 mm. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Ashmore Reef , NNW of West Islet , NTM S.12327-002, 12: 17.0–30.0 mm. Dampier Archipelago , AMS I.26942-001, 24.2 mm. N of Cape Preston , CSIRO B2020 , 31.3 mm ; CSIRO B2033 , 31.1 mm. NE of Montebello Islands , CSIRO B2016 , 33.3 mm ; CSIRO B2986 , 23.0 mm. QUEENSLAND: Cape York , CSIRO H3467-02 , 35.4 mm ; CSIRO H4144-07 , 41.2 mm. Lizard island , AMS I.18755-105, 25.7 mm; AMS I.19482-114, 27.7 mm; ROM 39830, 28.1 mm ; USNM 218081 , 27.3 mm . NEW SOUTH WALES: E of Potsville , AMS I.37583-001, 34.0 mm. SOLOMON ISLANDS: Guadalcanal , BPBM 20875 , 13 : 16.0– 19.5 mm. VANUATU: Vanua Lava , AMS I.37933-003, 13: 14.6–23.3 mm; USNM 363785 , 11 : 14.8–22.0 mm. Malakula , AMS IB.4244, 53: 17.7–23.9 mm.