Siphamia cyanophthalma, Gon & Allen, 2012

Gon, Ofer & Allen, Gerald R., 2012, 3294, Zootaxa 3294, pp. 1-84 : 32-36

Siphamia cyanophthalma new species

Figures 14b–c, 16; Table 7

Holotype: NCIP 6361 (previously BPBM 32084 ), 21.8 mm, female, Indonesia, Flores, off Pertamina oil storage site, Waipare Reef, 8°37.943’S, 122°15.993’E, coral, 30 m, rotenone, J.E. Randall, 15 September 1987.

Paratypes: BPBM 26626 , 4 : 10.8–18.0 mm, Indonesia, Sulawesi, Manado, reef west of Arakan , in Acropora coral, 20 m, quinaldine, G.W. Tribble, 26 August 1978 ; BPBM 30152 , 18.7 mm, male, Indonesia, Lombok, Gili Ayer , 21.5 m, sodium cyanide and spear, J.E. Randall, 22 February 1984 ; BPBM 40997 , 16.2 mm, male, collected with holotype ; NTM S.15435-015, 18.7 mm, Indonesia, Sangihe Islands, Pulau Lenggis , 18–25 m, B.C. Russell, 6 May 2001 ; SAIAB 85930 , 17.5 mm and USNM 396990 , 15.5 mm, both males and originally from BPBM 26626 .

Other material: CAS 214512 , 3 : 20.3–22.2 mm, Palau Islands , R.A. Gaines , 14 April 1957 ; NTM S.11392- 008, 20.7 mm, Western Australia, Scott Reef , 14°11’S, 121°49’E, lagoon, 7–30 m, B. C. Russell, 14 September 1984 ; SAIAB 99433 , 4 : 18.6–23.15 mm, Indonesia, West Papua, Cnderwasih Bay , Tridacna Atoll, G . R. Allen , 8 November 2008 ; USNM 329254 , 11.1 mm, Philippines, Palawan, Cuyo Islands, Cocoro Island , west side, 10°53’09”N, 121°11’34”E, 0–21 m , V.G. Springer et al., 26 May 1978 . WAM P.30337-006, 5: 16.4–23.8 mm; WAM P.30372-006, 14.4 mm; and WAM P.30376-019, 24.8 mm (all three lots are paratypes of S. jebbi from Madang, PNG, at 14–29 m; see Remarks for the latter species below) .

Diagnosis: Dorsal rays VII+I,9; anal rays II,7–8; pectoral rays 12; tubed lateral-line scales 4–8; median predorsal scales 4–5; total gill rakers 3–4 + 9–10; developed gill rakers 1 + 6–9; gill rakers on ceratobranchial 6–7. Body depth 2.25–2.6 in SL and body width 2.4–3.1 in the depth; eye diameter 2.65–3.3 in head length; first dorsal spine very small 10.25–14.5 in second spine (two specimens); second dorsal spine 4.7–5.1, spine of second dorsal fin 4.1–5.2, and second anal spine 4.6–5.1, all in head length; pectoral-fin length 4.2–4.5 and pelvic-fin length 4.8–5.0 in SL; caudal-peduncle length 1.0– 1.4 in distance between pelvic spine insertion and anal-fin origin. Preopercular edge weakly serrate around angle, with 5–14 (usually 6–8) minute serrations; preopercular ridge smooth. Tip of light organ on each side of tongue bound by membrane.

Colour in life (from a colour slide by G.R. Allen): translucent pale brown, with irregular series of orangebrown dots of various sizes on body and head; dots somewhat smaller and closer together on snout, interorbital area and lower jaw; eye with two horizontal narrow blue stripes, one on each side of pupil; area of iris below ventral stripe yellow, and its remaining area with orange dots; line of small dark dots along edge of jaws; branchiostegal rays with brown dots; pectoral and pelvic base blackish; small blackish mark along base of first three dorsal spines; fins pale, but spines and rays with faint orange tinge; silvery grey light organ speckled with dark brown dots and edged dorsally with narrow orange line from chest (between pelvic and pectoral fin bases) gradually narrowing posteriorly to about mid-ventral caudal peduncle.

Colour when fresh (from colour slides by J.E. Randall): similar to colour in life, but body more opaque; orange dots and dashes on body more reddish, larger and denser anteriorly and on top of head; stripes in eye paler blue ( Fig. 14b, c).

Colour in alcohol: pale brown with small dark dots on predorsal area and side of nape, extending anteriorly to snout and posteriorly to area between first dorsal fin and lateral line; triangular cheek mark from ventral edge of orbit to angle of preopercular ridge, widest at eye; a diagonal narrow dark line from anterior end of preopercular ridge to cheek mark usually present; dark dots sometimes present on pectoral-fin base; pelvic-fin base dark brown; scattered dark brown dots may be present below eye, on jaws and on tip of snout; iris plain, without distinct dark brown ring around pupil; branchiostegal rays usually with dark dots; fins pale, but dark dots may be present on pelvic spine and anterior 1–2 soft rays; peritoneum, intestine and stomach with dark brown dots.

Smallest specimen, BPBM 26626 , 10.8 mm, and largest specimen examined the holotype, 21.8 mm, both from Indonesia (Manado and Flores respectively) .

Description: Proportional measurements of the holotype and selected paratypes are given in Table 7. Dorsal rays VII+I,9; anal rays II,8 (one paratype with II,7); last soft ray of dorsal and anal fins branched to base; pectoral rays 12 in all specimens, two upper and lowermost rays unbranched; pelvic rays I,5, all soft rays branched; principal caudal rays 17, upper and lowermost rays unbranched; upper and lower procurrent caudal rays 6 in all specimens; tubed lateral-line scales about 8 (4–8); vertical scale rows about 23; horizontal scale rows at level of second dorsal fin origin 6; median predorsal scales missing (also missing in all paratypes, except one with 4); circumpeduncular scales 12; developed gill rakers 1 + 9 (1 + 6–9); gill rakers on ceratobranchial 7 (6–7); branchiostegal rays 7 in all specimens.

Body deep and compressed, its depth 2.45 (2.25–2.9) in SL and its width 2.4 (2.4–3.1) in depth; head length 2.25 (2.1–2.4) in SL; snout short, its length 8.1 (5.7–9.85) and eye diameter 3.3 (2.6–3.3) in head length; interorbital space 5.7 (4.6–5.3) in head length.

Mouth terminal, oblique and large; maxilla reaching posteriorly to vertical at posterior edge of pupil and its posterior (vertical) edge slightly indented; upper jaw length 2.1 (1.9–2.0) and lower jaw 1.8 (1.6–1.8) in head length; both jaws with band of small, conical teeth; upper jaw band with 2 series at symphysis, increasing to about 4–5 series at middle of jaw; lower jaw band with 3 series at symphysis tapering to 2 series posteriorly; inner series teeth of lower jaw slightly enlarged; vomer and palatines with single irregular series (palatines toothless in one paratype).

Rear nostril oval, on anterior edge of eye, its lower edge at level of dorsal edge of pupil (somewhat lower in some paratypes), and its long diameter about 5.0 times in pupil diameter; anterior nostril round to slightly ovate, its diameter about two thirds of rear nostril’s (somewhat larger in some paratypes), with slightly raised rim, at level of middle of eye and slightly closer to rear nostril than to tip of snout.

Preopercular edge with 6 (5–14) minute serrations around angle and posterior part of ventral edge; preopercular ridge smooth; exposed edge of posttemporal with 1 (0–4) minute points.

Scales large, very thin, soft and easily detached; scales spinoid, those on anterior part of body with few or no spines (most paratypes missing most scales); caudal fin with low scaly sheath of 2–3 scale series across its base; other fins without scales or scaly sheath.

Dorsal-fin origin on vertical through upper pectoral-fin base; first dorsal spine very short, 10.25 (14.5 in one paratype) in second spine; second dorsal spine 4.7 (5.1 in one paratype), and third dorsal spine, longest, 3.3 (3.2 and 3.4 in two paratypes) in head length; spine of second dorsal fin 5.2 (4.1 and 4.5 in two paratypes) and longest dorsal soft ray 2.1 (2.3 in one paratype) in head length; first anal spine of two paratypes 3.9 and 8.0 in second spine; second anal spine broken (4.6–5.7) and longest anal ray broken (2.3 and 2.8 in two paratypes) in head length; pectoral fin reaching posteriorly over anal-fin origin, its length 4.5 (4.2–4.3) in SL; pelvic-fin origin on vertical slightly in front of upper pectoral-fin base, reaching back almost to anus (about three quarters of distance between pelvic and anal fin origins), its length 5.0 (4.8–4.9) in SL; pelvic-fin spine length 1.5 (1.4–1.75) in fin’s length; caudal fin emarginate, 3.2–3.4 in SL in two paratypes.

Dorsal profile of head straight (slightly convex in one paratype); predorsal distance 2.4 (2.3–2.4), preanal distance 1.6 (1.5–1.6) and prepelvic distance 2.6 (2.3–2.55) in SL; caudal peduncle depth 1.2 (1.3–2.0) in its length, and the length 1.4 (1.0–1.2) in distance between pelvic-fin base and anal-fin origin; latter distance 3.6 (3.8–4.9) in SL.

Colour in life: see Diagnosis above.

Colour in alcohol: pale brown with faint, small dark brown dots dorsally from below dorsal fin to snout; wide dark brown cheek mark from lower edge of orbit, tapering to angle of preopercular ridge; diagonal, narrow dark line from anterior edge of cheek mark to anterior end of preopercular ridge; dark brown dots along edges of premaxilla and lower jaw, respectively, and along branchiostegal rays; pectoral fin pale with dark brown dots on base; pelvic fin pale with dark brown base and a few dark dots along its spine; other fins pale; peritoneum, intestine and stomach with dark dots of various sizes, but intestinal dots near anus more dense.

Remarks: See Tables 1–3 for frequency distributions of pectoral rays, lateral-line scales and gill rakers. The predorsal scales were lost in all but one fish that had four scales. Lateral-line scales were often all or partly missing. Only fish in which a reasonable estimate could be made were counted, e.g. when the position of the last tubed scale could be determined. Teeth on the palatines were few and always on the anterior part of these bones. Spines on the scales seem to increase in number and size posteriorly and are more conspicuous on the caudal peduncle. In the smaller specimens the pectoral fin reached beyond anal-fin origin.

This species is a member of the S. tubulata species group. In life it differs from all other congeners in having two horizontal blue lines across the eye, one each above and below the pupil. Preserved specimens could be confused with S. brevilux , S. fistulosa and S. senoui , with which S. cyanophthalma shares 12 pectoral-fin rays and a similar colour pattern. See Remarks for S. brevilux above for characters separating it from this species. S. fistulosa has more tubed lateral-line scales ( Table 2), a taller dorsal fin (thrid spine 2.5–3.1 in head length), and thicker body (body width 2.1–2.4 in the depth). In S. senoui the iris usually has dark brown pigment around at least part of the pupil. It also has a thicker body (width 1.9–2.25 in depth) and a shorter light organ (4.0– 21.3 in caudal peduncle length). S. tubulata differs from S. cyanophthalma in having a nearly complete lateral line and modally fewer gill rakers ( Tables 2, 3), a more slender body (depth 2.7–3.1 in SL), and a shorter pectoral fin (4.9–5.9 in SL). In addition, the body of S. tubulata is covered with dark dots and usually has irregular dark marks similar to those of S. corallicola and S. elongata . The latter two species have fewer pectoral-fin rays, more slender body (depth 2.6–3.3 in SL), and a shorter pectoral fin (5.1–6.1 in SL) than S. cyanophthalma . See Tables 1–3 and the Remarks for each species for comparisons with the three Australian species, S. cephalotes , S. cuneiceps and S. roseigaster . The body colour of this species is also similar to that of S. jebbi , but the latter has a striated light organ, 13 pectoralfin rays and two developed gill rakers on the upper limb, and it does not have the blue stripes across the eye. Allen’s (1993: fig. 7) photograph of S. jebbi clearly shows the blue stripes across the eye, as well as the yellow and orange parts of the iris, and therefore is actually S. cyanophthalma (see Remarks for jebbi below).

The smallest S. cyanophthalma female with visually detectable maturing eggs was 14.3 mm. In this female the light organ extended posteriorly to about the middle of the caudal peduncle. This species also exhibits sexual dimorphism in the length of the light organ, which extends farther on the caudal peduncle in males ( Fig. 3c).

This species is known from the Philippines (Cuyo Islands), Indonesia (Flores, Lombok , northern Sulawesi, and West Papua), Palau, Papua New Guinea (Madang), and Western Australia ( Scott Reef ) ( Fig. 8). Capture depths ranged from 0–30 m. The fish from Manado ( BPBM 26626 ) were found in Acropora coral .

Etymology: This species is named cyanophthalma (Latin: “blue-eye”) with reference to the pair of blue stripes through the eye, which is an excellent field character for its recognition.