Parupeneus louise Randall, 2004

Louise Goatfish

(Figs 1, 2C; Tab. I)

Material examined

Holotype. – BPBM 31692, HT, 222 mm SL, Central Pacific, French Polynesia, Tuamotu Archipelago, Kaukura Atoll, F / V Vaivai, 200 m depth.

Unvouchered photograph (Fig. 2C): French Polynesia, Austral Islands, Rurutu, most probably large-sized fish, 250 m depth.

Diagnosis

Morphological characters

Pectoral fins 16; lateral-line scales 27; gill rakers 8-9 + 31-32 = 39-41; measurements in % SL (only one large-sized fish available): body depth at first dorsal-fin origin 30; body depth at anus 23; caudal-peduncle depth 9.8; maximum head depth 28; head depth through eye 26; interorbital length 8.1; head length 36; snout length 20; postorbital length 11; orbit length 6.6; upper jaw length 15; barbel length 37; caudal-peduncle length 24; caudal-fin length 30; height of second anal-fin ray 13; pelvic-fin length 25; pectoral-fin length 27; height of second dorsal-fin spine 17; height of third dorsal-fin spine 20; height of second dorsal-fin ray 12 and height of ninth dorsal-fin ray 14; posterior maxilla margin dorsally flattened.

Colour

Fresh fish shortly after death with head and body ventrally white and with a broad red band along dorsal head and body margin of about orbit diameter in width; a thin whitish stripe of about half of pupil diameter extends from below and behind eye to caudal-fin base and follows the lateral line; head and body below lateral line to about level of pectoral-fin base mostly red, interrupted by six broad white, vertically oriented bars of varying widths, the anterior-most bar thinnest, positioned along exterior opercular margin, the posterior-most bar widest, crossing anterior third of caudal peduncle, the remaining four bars of intermediate widths positioned at rather irregular red interspaces in the area from behind pectoral-fin base to below posterior part of second dorsal fin; pupil black, iris red; barbels whitish suffused with pale red at base, then entirely creamy white; dorsal fins red, the anterior three long spines mostly white; caudal fin red at base and most of lobes, the upper lobe with a pale-red stripe of half lobe width along its ventral margin, the lower lobe and caudal-fin base with a white ventral margin; pectoral, pelvic and anal fins mostly white or pale red; preserved fish pale brown, head somewhat darker.

Distribution and size

French Polynesia, Austral Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago; 200-250 m depth; attains at least 22 cm SL.

Remarks

Only the preserved HT and one unvouchered fresh photograph are currently known.