Bembrops caudimacula Steindachner 1876

Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Kinch, Jeff, Mana, Ralph, Russell, Barry C., Tully, Dean & White, William T., 2019, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records, Zootaxa 4588 (1), pp. 1-360 : 252

Bembrops caudimacula Steindachner 1876 —Tailspot duckbill ( Figs. 118–119 )

Status at New Ireland. New record, based on NTUM 12281 (1 specimen, 163.1 mm SL, St. CP 4259-6, west coast of New Ireland north of southern border of Kavieng District ) ; NTUM 11066 (2 specimens, St. CP 4418-6-7, northeast of New Hanover ) ; NTUM 11131 (1 specimen, St. CP 4437-20, northeast of New Hanover ) ; NTUM 11171 (1 specimen, 175.2 mm SL, St. CP 4446-1, north of New Hanover ) ; NTUM 11303 (1 specimen, 135.4 mm SL, St. CP 4490-1, northwest of New Hanover ) ; NTUM 11351 (1 specimen, 168.6 mm SL, St. CP 4498-2, north of New Hanover ) .

Distribution and habitat. New Ireland: 1, 2. General distribution: Red Sea and Gulf of Aden east to eastern Indonesia and Philippines, north to Japan, south to northwestern Australia at 18°21'S, Queensland ( Australia) and New Caledonia. 335–450 m depth. Marine.

Remarks. The species was recorded from Madang, Papua New Guinea by Fricke et al. (2014: 144). Additional specimens were collected in the Solomon Sea off the southern coast of western New Britain, Papua New Guinea (NTUM 12283, 2 specimens, St. CP 4331-2-3; NTUM uncat., 1 specimen, St. CP 4336-15; NTUM 12284, 1 specimen, St. CP 4337-5), and off northeastern New Britain (NTUM 12282, 1 specimen, St. CP 4265-19).

Figures

FIGURE 118. Bembrops caudimacula Steindachner 1876, lateral view, St. CP4445-19, north of New Hanover (NTUM uncat.) (photograph by Jhen-Nien Chen, taken immediately after collection).

FIGURE 119. Bembrops caudimacula Steindachner 1876, dorsal view, St. CP4437-20, northeast of New Hanover, 416–536 m depth (NTUM 11131) (photograph by Jhen-Nien Chen, taken immediately after collection).