Albula koreana Kwun and Kim, 2011

Matsunuma, Mizuki, Nagaya, Nene, Hidaka, Koichi & Kai, Yoshiaki, 2022, Taxonomic Reassessment of Albula (Albuliformes: Albulidae) from Japan and Adjacent Waters with Reliable Records of Albula argentea, A. koreana and A. oligolepis from Japan, Species Diversity 27 (2), pp. 259-277 : 269-273

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.12782/specdiv.27.259
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/482787B3-FFF2-FF9B-74C5-FA13086EFC83
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Albula koreana Kwun and Kim, 2011
status

Treatment

Albula koreana Kwun and Kim, 2011 View in CoL

[New standard Japanese name: Kisuji-sotoiwashi] ( Figs 1B View Fig , 2D–F View Fig , 3C View Fig , 4B View Fig , 5D–F View Fig , 6C View Fig , 8A View Fig ; Tables 2–5)

Albula argentea View in CoL (not of Forster): Hidaka et al. 2008: 58 (in part; description; Vietnam; specimen: NSMT-P 67748); Matsunuma 2011: 26, unnumbered fig. (atlas; Terengganu, Malaysia; specimen: KAUM–I. 16854); Koeda 2019: 82, unnumbered figs (in part; atlas; southern Taiwan; specimens: 2 of 4, KAUM–I. 125129 and 125130, examined herein); Koeda 2020: 82, unnumbered figs (same as Koeda 2019).

Albula neoguinaica View in CoL (not of Valenciennes): Kohno et al. 2011: 80 unnumbered fig. (in part; atlas; photographed specimen from South East Asia, Hiroshi Kohno, personal communication).

Albula koreana: Hata 2022: 22 View in CoL , unnumbered figs (in part; atlas; Satsuma Peninsula , Kagoshima, Japan; specimen: KAUM– I. 1246).

Material examined. Five specimens, 243.7–272.7mm SL. JAPAN: KAUM – I. 1246, 250.1 mm SL, northeast of Matsu-shima Island , Kasasa, Minami-satsuma, Kagoshima Prefecture (31°25′06″N, 130°12′32″E), 20 m depth, M GoogleMaps . Ito, set net, 10 November 2006. TAIWAN: KAUM –I . 125129, 246.9 mm SL, KAUM –I. 125130, 271.9 mm SL, off Ke-tzuliao, Ziguan , Kaohsiung, K . Koeda and H. Hata, 26 December 2018. VIETNAM: NSMT-P 67748, 243.7 mm SL, Cat Ba Island (obtained at fish market in Hai Phong) . MALAYSIA: KAUM –I. 16854, 272.7 mm SL, off Kuala Terengganu ,

Terengganu (5°22′N, 103°15′E), bottom trawl GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. A species of Albula distinguished from Indo-Pacific congeners by the following combination of characters: tip of lower jaw pointed; scale rows between lateral line and mid-dorsal-fin base 9 or 10; pored lateral-line scales 75–77; total vertebrae 76–78; long, vivid yellow stripe on cheek; obvious blotch in front of nostrils, about twice nostril size; single oval blotch present under arc-shaped band on snout tip.

Description. Meristics and morphometrics taken from examined specimens given in Tables 2–4. Characters applicable to both A. koreana and A. argentea are not repeated here, except for the following significant features: Anterior portion of parasphenoid tooth patch rounded, without pointed extension, its tip not reaching level of anterior tips of mesopterygoid tooth patches. Lower jaw tip relatively pointed ( Fig. 4B View Fig ). Single row of 8–10 embedded scales along ventral edge of preopercle, just posterior to maxilla. Posterior tip of depressed pelvic fin just reaching anus. Most specimens with 9 well-formed horizontal scale rows present between mid-dorsal-fin base and lateral line, a 10th row short, restricted to around dorsal fin origin ( Fig. 5D, E View Fig ); 1 specimen with long posteriorly extended 10th scale row, exceeding level of mid-dorsal-fin base ( Fig. 5F View Fig ).

Color of fresh specimens: Cheek with single long, striking yellow stripe, its posterior end almost reaching anterior edge of preopercle ( Figs 2D–F View Fig , 8A View Fig ). Iris whitish, horizontal black band crossing black pupil, extending anteriorly onto snout as a short semitranslucent dark band in front of orbit (not reaching level of nostril; Fig. 8A View Fig ). Snout tip surrounded by large arched black band, with single oval pale black blotch under arch ( Fig. 6C View Fig , preserved condition). Relatively large black blotch in front of nostrils, size larger than nostril ( Fig. 6C View Fig ). Dorsal fin rays pale yellow to brown, dorsal edge blackish, membranes semitranslucent, densely covered with minute melanophores. Anal fin whitish, densely covered with melanophores. Pectoral fin outer surface yellow, inner axis coloration not apparent. Pelvic fin whitish, basal portion yellowish. Caudal fin yellowish to brown with narrow black margin.

Color of preserved specimens: Head, body and all fins creamy-yellow, body blackish dorsally; upper dark lines retained as brown or blackish lines ( Fig. 3C View Fig ); 9 or 10 longitudinal dark lines on dorsum above lateral line. Yellow coloration, including cheek stripe, completely obscured; dark markings on snout retained.

Distribution. Albula koreana occurs in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, in waters off Malaysia (east coast of Malay Peninsula), Vietnam, Taiwan, southern Japan (Kagoshima Pref., Kyushu) and southern Korea ( Fig. 7 View Fig ). The species is most likely associated with the continental coast of East Asia, being widely distributed along the coast of the Malay Peninsula and Gulf of Thailand, north to China and the Korean Peninsula. A single Japanese specimen was caught by a set net off southern Kyushu (Satsuma Peninsula), Kagoshima Pref., in 20 m depth. The Malaysian specimen was caught by bottom trawl.

Remarks. Albula koreana was originally described by Kwun and Kim (2011) on the basis of five specimens (62.8– 350.1 mm SL) from Korea (Busan) and Taiwan (Wanli, Taipei). In addition to the numbers of pored lateral-line scales and vertebrae [as stated by Kwun and Kim (2011)], the species can be easily distinguished from Indo-Pacific congeners by coloration (see Discussion). The present specimens of A. koreana from Vietnam (NSMT-P 67748), Malaysia (KAUM–I. 16854) and Taiwan (KAUM–I. 125129 and 125130) were reported as A. argentea by Hidaka et al. (2008), Matsunuma (2011) and Koeda (2019, 2020), respectively.

Hata (2022) correctly reported a Japanese specimen (KAUM– I. 1246) as A. koreana , but did not discuss the basis for its identification. A second specimen considered by Hata (2022) was identified here as A. argentea . Albula koreana reported by Murase (2021) from Miyazaki Pref. was identical to either A. argentea or A. oligolepis , due to the lack of an obvious yellow stripe on the cheek; that specimen (KPM-NI 53373) was not examined during this study. Other previous records of A. koreana from Japan included both A. argentea and A. oligolepis (see synonymies of those species).

The standard Japanese name “Kisuji-sotoiwashi” is newly proposed for A. koreana based on KAUM– I. 1246.

Albula oligolepis Hidaka, Iwatsuki, and Randall, 2008 [New standard Japanese name: Arame-sotoiwashi] ( Figs 1C View Fig , 2G, H View Fig , 3D View Fig , 4C View Fig , 6B View Fig ; Tables 2–5)

Albula neoguinaica View in CoL (not of Valenciennes): Aizawa 1993: 155, unnumbered fig. (in part; key; Japan); Aizawa 2000: 189, unnumbered fig. (in part; key; Japan); Aizawa 2002: 189, unnumbered fig. (in part; key; Japan).

Albula sp. : Aizawa and Doiuchi 2013: 235, unnumbered fig. (in part; key; Japan); Hatooka 2018: 63, unnumbered fig. (in part; atlas; Japan); Ikeda and Nakabo 2015: 35, pl. 34-7 [in part?; atlas, short description; Wakayama, Japan; 2 specimens: WW 02102, PLS: 66 or 71 (from description)]; Hatooka 2022: 63, unnumbered fig . (in part; atlas; Japan).

Albula koreana View in CoL not of Kwun and Kim: Hata 2018b: 18, unnumbered figs (atlas; Amami-oshima Island, Kagoshima, Japan; specimens: NSMT-P 129038, 129039); Hata 2019: 20, unnumbered fig. (atlas; Amami-oshima Island, Kagoshima, Japan; specimen: NSMT-P 129038); Nakae et al. 2018: 210 (checklist; Amami-oshima Island, Japan; specimens: NSMT-P 129038, 129039).

? Albula koreana View in CoL not of Kwun and Kim: Murase 2021: 76, unnumbered fig. (atlas; Kadogawa Bay, Miyazaki, Japan; specimen: KPM-NI 53373 View Materials , not examined) ; Shimose 2021: 44, unnumbered fig. (atlas; Okinawa, Japan) .

Material examined. Five specimens, 289.0– 373.4mm SL . JAPAN: Oita Prefecture: KAUM –I. 140897, 333.9 mm SL, off Kamae-senzaki, Saiki (32°49′N, 131°02′E), K GoogleMaps . Hoshino , set net, 19 September 2002 . Miyazaki Pref.: KAUM –I . 144516, 289.0 mm SL, off Kushima , 30 m depth, R . Miki , set net, 17 July 2020 . Kagoshima Pref.: KAUM –I . 50222, 373.4 mm SL, off Makikawa, Nakatane, Tanega-shima Island (30°36′59″N, 130°56′56″E), 20 m depth, M GoogleMaps . Meguro et al ., set net, 26 July 2012; NSMT-P 129038, 289.2 mm SL, NSMT-P 129039, 334.7 mm SL, Amami-oshima Island, Ryukyu Islands (obtained at Naze fish market), T . Maekawa , 8 December 2016 .

Diagnosis. A species of Albula distinguished from Indo-Pacific congeners by the following combination of characters: tip of lower jaw pointed; scale rows between lateral line and mid-dorsal-fin base 8; pored lateral-line scales 61–67; total vertebrae 64–66; short indistinct yellow stripe on cheek; blotch in front of nostrils small, not larger than twice nostril size; oval blotch absent under arched band on snout tip.

Description. Meristics and morphometrics taken from examined specimens are given in Tables 2–4. Characters applicable to both A. oligolepis and A. argentea are not repeat- ed here, except for the following significant features: anterior portion of parasphenoid tooth patch, sharply elongated, its tip at level of anterior tips of mesopterygoid tooth patches; lower jaw tip relatively pointed ( Fig. 4C View Fig ); single row of 7–9 embedded scales along ventral edge of preopercle, just posterior to maxilla; posterior tip of depressed pelvic fin almost reaching or extending beyond anus; 8 horizontal scale rows between mid-dorsal-fin base and lateral line, a 9th row very short, restricted to around dorsal fin origin.

Color of fresh specimens: Very similar to A. argentea . Cheek with short indistinct yellow stripe ( Figs 1C View Fig , 2G, H View Fig ); arched black band surrounding snout tip, with ends directed slightly sideward ( Fig. 6B View Fig , preserved specimen).

Color of preserved specimens: Head, body and fins becoming creamy-yellow ( Fig. 3D View Fig ); fresh yellow coloration obscured; dark markings retained; 8 or 9 brown wavy lines on dorsum between lateral line and mid-dorsal-fin base.

Distribution. Albula oligolepis is widely distributed in the Indian and West Pacific oceans, from the east coast of Africa to the Andaman Sea and Western Australia, and from eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea, north to southern Japan ( Fig. 7 View Fig ). The species is probably more widely distributed in the Pacific Ocean than presently recorded (e.g., off Taiwan and the Philippines).

Albula argentea and A. oligolepis have been reported sympatrically in Japan. A single specimen of A. oligolepis (KAUM–I. 50222) and three specimens of A. argentea (KAUM–I. 50220, 50221 and 50223) were collected together in the same set net off Tanega-shima Island (Kagoshima), suggesting that both species had been schooling together. As in A. glossodonta , the occurrence of A. oligolepis in Japanese waters most likely represents occasional migration.

Remarks. Albula oligolepis was originally described by Hidaka et al. (2008) on the basis of 36 specimens (type locality: Durban, South Africa). Since the species has previously been restricted to Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia (southern Pacific Ocean), the present Japanese specimens represent the first reliable records of A. oligolepis from the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Since the standard Japanese name “Sotoiwashi” has been retained here for A. argentea , the new Japanese name “Arame-sotoiwashi”, based on KAUM–I. 144516, is newly proposed for A. oligolepis .