taxonID	type	description	language	source
03B187E2FFD4EB538A8CD649E791FF1E.taxon	vernacular_names	Common name: Balckmouth splitfin (DZ 口尖ƬAE)	en	Huang, Yu-Shan, Chen, Hong-Ming (2025): Additional description and geographic distribution of the splitfin ocean-bass Synagrops atrumoris from southwestern Taiwan. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 139-146, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17
03B187E2FFD4EB538A8CD649E791FF1E.taxon	description	(Figs. 1 A, 2 A, 3 A, C, 4 A, 5 A; Table 1)	en	Huang, Yu-Shan, Chen, Hong-Ming (2025): Additional description and geographic distribution of the splitfin ocean-bass Synagrops atrumoris from southwestern Taiwan. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 139-146, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17
03B187E2FFD4EB538A8CD649E791FF1E.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. TOU-AE 10935, 1 specimen, 135.1 mm SL, collected off Dong-gang Fishing Port, Pingtung County, southwestern Taiwan, bottom trawl, 13 Jan 2025, collector Jian-Fu Huang.	en	Huang, Yu-Shan, Chen, Hong-Ming (2025): Additional description and geographic distribution of the splitfin ocean-bass Synagrops atrumoris from southwestern Taiwan. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 139-146, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17
03B187E2FFD4EB538A8CD649E791FF1E.taxon	description	Redescription Dorsal fin IX, I, 9; anal fin II, 7; pectoral-fin ray 16; pelvic fin I, 5; principal caudal-fin ray 9 + 8; gill rakers on the first gill arch 3 + 10; vertebral formula 10 + 15. Other morphometric and meristic are presented in Table 1. Body slightly elongated, its depth 25.5 % in SL. Head large and naked, length 34.2 % in SL. Eyes large and round, 29.8 % in HL. Snout short and blunt, length 23.4 % in HL. The nostrils are situated anterior to each eye. Preopercle with double edge; inner edge smooth; hind margin serrated; posteroventral margin of interopercle serrated; anteroventral margin of subopercle serrated; opercle with two weak spines. Mouth large, gape oblique; posterior edge of maxillary slightly extends beyond the vertical through the center of the eye; low jaw slightly projecting when mouth closed. Two separate dorsal fins. First dorsal spine on the first dorsal fin (D 1) shortest, its length not reaching half of the second dorsal spine on D 1, third and fourth dorsal spines on D 1 longest. The origin of first dorsal fin slightly posterior to vertical through pectoral-fin base. Pectoral fin not reaching anus. Anal fin situated posteriorly, its origin at vertical through 4 th dorsal-fin soft ray on D 2. Anus situated close to anal-fin insertion. Caudal fin forked. Proximal-middle radial of the first anal-fin pterygiophore (FAP) long and bent towards the first haemal spine. Base of the proximal-middle radial of FAP is broad, tapering to a slender distal end (Fig. 2 A, arrow). Dentition. Premaxilla with a pair of large canines near symphysis, followed posteriorly by a wide band of short and blunt minute conical teeth. Dentary with 4 large canines near symphysis, followed by a band of short and blunt minute conical teeth, and a row of 3 – 4 large canines on each inner sides, a row of minute conical teeth on each outside, followed posteriorly by 2 – 3 rows of minute conical teeth. Vomer with a triangular patch of minute conical teeth and a row of longer and pointed teeth at rear margin. Palatines with 4 – 6 rows of short and blunt minute conical teeth, a row of longer and pointed conical teeth in anterior half inner side. Ectopterygoids wide, with 10 – 11 rows of short and blunt blunt minute conical teeth. Tongue without teeth (Fig. 3 A, C, 4 A). Otolith, right sagitta. The sagitta is triangular, compressed and thin. Dorsal and ventral rims are nearly parallel, both slanting anteriorly. The dorsal rim with irregular undulations, while the ventral rim is relatively flat. The postero-dosal and postero-ventral angles are nearly perpendicular to the posterior rim. The postero- ventral angle is more rounded than the postero-dorsal angle. Below the horizontal midline of ostium with a large elliptical ostial colliculum and it oblique to the left anterior dorsal side. The cauda is elongated, slightly deep and markedly flexed ventrally at tip, narrowing toward the ventral area; caudal colliculum is absent. Crista superior and crista inferior well-developed. Notch broad. Excisura narrow (Fig. 5 A). Coloration. When fresh, body and head are black. The membrane of spinous portion of dorsal fin with black margin; soft portions of dorsal, pectoral, pelvic and anal fins bear minute melanophores; caudal fin rays are black. The oral cavity and the lower portion of the tongue are black (Fig. 1 A, 3 A). When preserved, the overall coloration is similar to that of the fresh. The head is black to dark brown. The oral cavity and the lower portion of the tongue are black to gray.	en	Huang, Yu-Shan, Chen, Hong-Ming (2025): Additional description and geographic distribution of the splitfin ocean-bass Synagrops atrumoris from southwestern Taiwan. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 139-146, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17
03B187E2FFD4EB538A8CD649E791FF1E.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Previously known from the Dongsha Islands, Taiwan, and the South China Sea and possibly from the south of Scott Reefs, Western Australia (Mediodia et al. 2024). Our specimen represent the occurrence of this species from Dong-gang Fishing Port, Pingtung, southwestern Taiwan, extending its known distribution.	en	Huang, Yu-Shan, Chen, Hong-Ming (2025): Additional description and geographic distribution of the splitfin ocean-bass Synagrops atrumoris from southwestern Taiwan. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 139-146, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17
03B187E2FFD4EB538A8CD649E791FF1E.taxon	discussion	Remarks The presently reported specimen is identified as Synagrops atrumoris based on the following characteristics: the oral cavity and the lower portion of the tongue are black; a triangular-shaped sagitta otolith. In addition to the differences in otolith shape and oral cavity coloration, there are other distinguishing characteristics between Synagrops atrumoris and S. japonicus. S. atrumoris exhibits fewer gill rakers 3 + 10 (vs. 3 + 12 – 13 in S. japonicus; Table 1). Furthermore, the tip of the proximal-middle radial of FAP is slender and without hollow in S. atrumoris, but S. japonicas with wide and hollow tip (Fig. 2 A – B, arrows). Moreover, the number of denticle rows on the palatine and ectopterygoid: 4 – 6 rows of small conical on palatine in S. atrumoris, 3 – 4 rows in S. japonicus; 10 – 11 rows of small conical on ectopterygoid in S. atrumoris, 7 – 8 rows in S. japonicas (Fig. 4 A – B). The specimen was collected off Dong-gang Fishing Port, Pingtung, southwestern Taiwan, extending its known distribution.	en	Huang, Yu-Shan, Chen, Hong-Ming (2025): Additional description and geographic distribution of the splitfin ocean-bass Synagrops atrumoris from southwestern Taiwan. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 139-146, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17
03B187E2FFD4EB538A8CD649E791FF1E.taxon	materials_examined	Comparative material. Synagrops japonicus, TOU-AE 11164 - 11166, 3 specimens, off Dong-gang Fishing Port, Pingtung, southwestern Taiwan, 30 May 2025, collector Jian-Fu Huang.	en	Huang, Yu-Shan, Chen, Hong-Ming (2025): Additional description and geographic distribution of the splitfin ocean-bass Synagrops atrumoris from southwestern Taiwan. Zootaxa 5738 (1): 139-146, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5738.1.17
