Parpercis annamalai, Yosuva & Ho & Jeyapragash & Saravanakuamr, 2020

Yosuva, Mariasingarayan, Ho, Hsuan-Ching, Jeyapragash, Danaraj & Saravanakuamr, Ayyappan, 2020, Parapercis annamalai sp. nov., a new sandperch from southwestern India (Family Pinguipedidiae), Zootaxa 4786 (4), pp. 555-564 : 556-561

Parpercis annamalai sp. nov.

Annamalai’s Sandperch

Figs. 1 A–B, 2 A–C, 3, 4A, C, E, F, 5; Tables 1, 2

Holotype. ZSI/ MBRC /F.1950 (120.2 mm SL), male 11°30’6.4”N, 79°46’19.8”E, off coast of Parangipettai , southeastern India, Bay of Bengal, eastern Indian Ocean, 12 Sep. 2018.

Paratypes. ZSI/ MBRC /F.1951 (1, 120.1), female; NMMB-P30954 (1, 120.8), male; both collected together with holotype .

Diagnosis. A species of Parapercis differs from all congeners in having the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays V, 21–22; anal-fin rays I, 17–18; pectoral-fin rays 17–18; pored lateral-line scales 53–54; median predorsal scales 7; transverse scale rows 4/13; gill rakers on 1st gill arch 15–17; single row of stout teeth on vomer; no teeth on palatine; 3 pairs of enlarged canines at front of lower jaw; opercle uniformly dark brownish; blade-like patch on cheek, the patch orange dorsally and reddish ventrally, fading entirely in preservative; dorsal fins light grayish with 2 rows of spots; a whitish longitudinal band just above lateral axis of body; dorsal surface of body with 8 irregular blackish saddles and lower half with 7 reddish bars and black dots on upper half of each bar; lower half of anal fin reddish; caudal fin grayish with upper and lower portion darker and vertical rows of orange dots on yellowish bands.

Description. The following data or character states are provided for the holotype, followed in parentheses by the data for all 3 types, except where indicated otherwise.

Dorsal-fin elements V, 21 ( V, 22 in 1 paratype), first spine short, fourth longest and the last spine fully connected to the 1st dorsal-fin ray by membrane; all soft rays branched; anal-fin elements I, 17 (I, 18 in 1 paratype), all rays branched, the last one branched to the base; pectoral-fin rays 17 on both sides (18 on right side of 1 paratype), all branched except the uppermost ray; principal caudal-fin rays 15, all but the lowermost ray branched; upper pro- current rays 11 (10); lower procurrent rays 9 (9); pored lateral-line scales 54 (53–54), not including 3 smaller pored scales on the caudal-fin base; scale rows between origin of dorsal fin posteroventrally to lateral line 4; scale rows between lateral line posteroventrally and origin of anal fin 13; median predorsal scales 7 (7 or 8); circumpeduncular scale rows 24 (24–25); rakers on outer side of 1st gill arch 5+11=16 (4+11 and 6+11, respectively, in the paratypes); pseudobranchial filaments 17 (17 or 19 in paratypes); branchiostegal rays 6; vertebrae 10+20=30 .

Body relatively short, nearly cylindrical anteriorly and gradually compressed posteriorly; head relatively long and depressed, it length 34.0 (34.0–34.2)% SL; ventral part of head, chest, and abdomen slightly convex; snout relatively long, its length 29.1 (27.0–29.5)% HL; eye moderately large, its diameter 26.2 (24.0–26.2)% HL; simple shallow lobe of iris lappet; interorbital space flat, moderately wide, 9.8 (9.8–10.2)% HL.

Mouth large, maxilla reaching vertical through middle of eye; mouth oblique, forming an angle of about 15° to horizontal axis of body; lower jaw extends slightly beyond upper jaw anteriorly; upper jaw with outer row of conical teeth that curve medially and posteriorly, anterior 10 slightly larger, the second tooth especially large; other teeth smaller and subequal in size; broad band of villiform teeth in about 7 or 8 rows at front of upper jaw, gradu- ally narrowing posteriorly to about 1 or 2 irregular rows; front of lower jaw with 3 pairs of recurved canine teeth at front (some with 1 or 2 teeth lost), outer (last) tooth largest; band of about 7 or 8 rows of villiform teeth, medial row continuing posteriorly to row of 7 or 8 increasingly larger and more strongly recurved teeth (last 3 or 4 of these distinctly enlarged), followed by single row of small teeth to middle portion of jaw; vomer with single row of 6 (3 in one paratype) stout conical teeth; palatines without teeth; lips smooth, their inner surface with many fleshy papillae that interdigitate with anterior teeth; tongue broadly rounded, reaching posterior margin of vomerine teeth anteriorly.

Gill membranes free from isthmus, with a broad transverse free fold. Gill rakers short and spinous, longest raker about one fourth length of longest gill filament. Nostrils small, anterior nostril tube-like, in front of eye clearly below a horizontal line through middle of eye (viewed from side), about half way from anterior margin of eye to groove at edge of upper lip, with a broadly pointed posterior flap that does not reach posterior nostril when laid back; posterior nostril dorsoposterior to anterior nostril, ovate with slight rim; internasal distance about 2–3 times diameter of posterior nostril.

Pores of cephalic sensory system relatively few in number, connected by complex canals beneath the skin. Row of 3 large pores above maxilla; 3 pores near nostrils, 1 pore above and 1 below the posterior nostril and 1 between nostrils; 2 pores on each side of space between posterior nostril to anterior interorbital space; single row of 4 supra- orbital pores; single irregular row of suborbital pores; few free pores behind upper corner of eyes. Single row of 6 large pores on free margin of preopercle; pores on occiput relatively few, originating from row of 2 or 3 pores on posterior interorbital space, divided into two multiple series on each side continues to origin of lateral-line. Single row of 4 large pores on mandibular; and 2 large pores at front of chin.

Opercle bearing a strong posteriorly-directed sharp spine, at about same level as ventral edge of pupil when viewed from the side; corner of free margin of subopercle with a stout spine in holotype (small cluster of 3–6 spinules in both paratype); preopercle broadly rounded, its free edge strongly serrated, with about 13 sharp spines (blunt spines in a paratype); free margin of interopercle smooth.

Scales strongly ctenoid and imbricate in most parts of body; those on opercle large and ctenoid (some posterior scales cycloid); on space anterior to pectoral fin base large and cycloid; on pectoral fin base small and cycloid; on nape anterior to a line from upper free end of gill opening to origin of dorsal fin cycloid; on cheek cycloid, mostly embedded under the skin, except those on posteriodorsal region which are imbricate; on chest cycloid; on abdomen cycloid; on caudal fin progressively smaller and weakly ctenoid, except for some cycloid on posteriormost region, covering about two-thirds of the upper and lower lobes and half of the middle portion; no scales on dorsal, anal, or pelvic fins; predorsal scales extending forward to, or slightly anterior to, a vertical from hind margin of preopercle; lateral line broadly arched over pectoral fin, then gradually slanting to straight midlaterally on about posterior fourth of body.

Origin of dorsal fin above second lateral-line scale, predorsal length about equal to head length; first 4 dorsal spines progressively longer posteriorly, last spine entirely attached to first soft ray by membrane; soft dorsal-fin rays progressively longer posteriorly, penultimate soft dorsal-fin ray longest; pectoral fins broadly rounded when spread, ninth or tenth ray longest, reaching a vertical from first (first or second) anal-fin ray; origin of pelvic fins before pectoral fin origin and below base of exposed part of subopercular spines; pelvic fin relatively short, reaching genital papilla, fourth pelvic-fin ray longest; origin of anal fin below base of fifth soft dorsal-fin ray; anal-fin spine short, penultimate anal soft ray longest; caudal fin with a slight prolongation on upper lobe, its length about 1/3 eye diameter, and lower lobe rounded.

Coloration when fresh ( Figs. 1 A–B, 3). Body mostly red with 8 narrow blackish brown saddles on dorsum, each saddle with irregular dark marks; belly brightly white to pink; a whit longitudinal band just above lateral axis of body; row of 7 broad red bars along lower sides of body, each bar with black dots dorsally, these becoming fainter ventrally.

Head slightly darker in color, a large blade-like patch on cheek just below the eye, the patch orange dorsally, blackish posteriorly and reddish ventrally; eye orange-red, its dorsal margin yellowish anteriorly and blackish poste- riorly; snout irregularly greenish and blackish; lips on both jaws uniformly pink; opercle entirely dark brown; most of subopercle, branchiostegal membranes, chest and front of pectoral-fin base bright white; isthmus region light gray. Row of 4 large yellowish brown spots on top of head behind eyes; horizontal row of 3 large black spots just behind the eyes; a large black curved patch on each side of shoulder; 2 black patches on top of nape.

First dorsal fin gray with a black patch at anterior portion of its base; second dorsal fin yellowish gray with row of large black spots at the base and 2 or 3 additional irregular rows of red spots on remainder of fin; pectoral fin pinkish yellow, translucent; pelvic fin pale with slightly yellow and black pigmentation on inner portion; upper half of anal fin pale and lower half red; caudal fin greenish gray with upper and lower margin darker, about 7 or 8 irregular, yellow bars alternating with grayish blue bars, orange spots on yellow bars associated with fin rays. Fresh coloration of female specimen similar to that of males, but less dark.

Coloration in preservative ( Fig. 2 A–C; 3A, C, E, F). The two male specimens are generally darker than the female. Body mostly deep gray, with abdominal region paler; narrow brown saddles on dorsum becoming more irregular below, middle 6 patches forming 3 pairs, black spots at space between pairs; a pale longitudinal band di- rectly below the saddles above body axis; black blotches on lower sides of body forming an irregular black stripe along body axis.

Upper two thirds of head blackish gray and lower third paler; markings on check faded entirely; opercle uni- formly blackish brown; front of pectoral-fin base pale; first dorsal fin grayish with a dark patch on anterior por- tion of its base; second dorsal fin deep grayish with a row of black spots along its base and rows of smaller spots elsewhere; pectoral fin light grayish; pelvic fin pale with some melanophores on inner margin; anal-fin base light grayish; caudal fingray with anterior third darker and alternating narrow dark and gray bars on most of the fin.

Etymology. Named for Annamalai University, which supported the studies of the Indian authors.

Size. The largest specimen examined was a 120.8 mm SL male.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type series collected from along the coastal waters of Parangipettai, southeastern India, Bay of Bengal.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–B. Parapercis annamalai sp. nov. A. Holotype, ZSI/MBRC/F.1950, male. B. Paratype, ZSI/MBRC/F.1951, female. C. Parapercis somaliensis, BPBM 31813, 124 mm SL, Gulf of Aqaba (by J.E. Randall). D. Parapercis kentingensis, NMMB-P 11453, holotype, 130.6 mm SL, southern Taiwan (by H.-C. Ho).

FIGURE 2. A–C. Parapercis annamalai sp. nov., preserved coloration. A. Holotype, ZSI/MBRC/F.1950, male. B. Paratype, NMMB-P30954, male. C. Paratype, ZSI/MBRC/F.1951, female. D. Parapercis somaliensis, SAIAB 80674, 136 mm SL (by G. Gouws).