Upeneus itoui Yamashita, Golani & Motomura, 2011

Uiblein, Franz & Motomura, Hiroyuki, 2021, Three new goatfishes of the genus Upeneus from the Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, with an updated taxonomic account for U. itoui (Mullidae: japonicus-species group), Zootaxa 4938 (3), pp. 298-324 : 310-313

Upeneus itoui Yamashita, Golani & Motomura, 2011

Itou’s Goatfish

Sakuya-himeji (standard Japanese name)

( Figures 1D, E , 2–6 ; Tables 1–3 )

Upeneus itoui Yamashita, Golani & Motomura, 2011 : Uiblein & Lisher 2013; Tashiro et al. 2014; Uiblein et al. 2017a, 2020a.

Material examined. Paratypes (n = 6, 87– 134 mm SL). S Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture: KAUM–I. 10384, 87 mm SL, Minamisatsuma, Kasasa, Kataura , off E of Sakinoyama, 31°25.44’ N, 130°11.49’ E, 27 m depth, set net; KAUM–I. 13595, 118 mm SL, same sampling data (photo of fresh PT, Figure 1 E ) ; KAUM–I. 13591, 104 mm SL, Minamisatsuma, Kasasa, NE of Matsu-shima Island , 31°25.06’ N, 130°12.32’ E, 20 m depth, set net (photo of fresh PT, Figure 1D ) ; KAUM–I. 13594, 108 mm SL, Minamisatsuma, Kasasa, Kataura, off Kouzaki-yama, 31°26.00’ N, 130°10.05’ E, 36 m depth, set net ; KAUM–I. 13715, 134 mm SL, Ibusuki, Kaimonkawajiri, 1 km SW of Kawajiri Fishing Port , 31°10’ N 130°32’ E, 40 m depth, set net ; MNHN 2010-1050, 114 mm SL, Minamisatsuma, Kasasa, Kataura, off E of Sakinoyama , 31°25.44’ N, 130°11.49’ E, 27 m depth, set net .

Non-types (n = 14, 88– 139 mm SL). KAUM–I. 14661, 111 mm SL, Ibusuki , Kaimonkawajiri, 1 km SW of Kawajiri Fishing Port, 31°10’ N 130°32’ E, 40 m depth, set net ; KAUM–I. 27549, 111 mm SL, same sampling data; KAUM–I. 35617, 139 mm SL, Minamisatsuma , Kasasa, Kataura, off E of Sakinoyama, 31°25.44’ N, 130 11.49’ E, 27 m depth, set net ; KAUM–I. 56303, 115 mm SL, same sampling data; KAUM–I. 97832, 98 mm SL, same locality and catch data ; KAUM–I. 131500, 133 mm SL, same sampling data; KAUM–I. 35944, 133 mm SL, Kimotsuki , Uchinoura Bay, 31°17’ N, 131°05’ E, set net ; KAUM–I. 123984, 117 mm SL, same sampling data; KAUM–I. 54077, 99 mm SL, Osumi Islands , Tanega-shima Island , Kumage-gun , Nakatane, off Kumano, 30°28.13’ N, 130°58.32’ E, 25 m depth, set net ; KAUM–I. 59466, 101 mm SL, same sampling data; KAUM–I. 56749, 115 mm SL, Kimotsuki , Uchinoura Bay, 31°24.28’ N 131°02.55’ E, 40-45 m depth, set net ; KAUM–I. 73580, 88 mm SL, Minamisatsuma , Kasasa, NE of Matsu-shima Island, 31°25.06’ N, 130°12.32’ E, 20 m depth, set net ; KAUM–I. 110071, 131 mm SL, same sampling data; KAUM–I. 86533, 134 mm SL, Kimotsuki , Kishira, off Funama Fishing Port, 31°10’ N, 130°59’ E, set net .

Diagnosis. Dorsal fins VII + 9; pectoral fins 13–14(15); gill rakers 6–7 + 16–18 = 22–25; body elongate and laterally slightly compressed; measurements as % SL: depth at first dorsal-fin origin 21–24; body depth at anal-fin origin 19–22; caudal-peduncle depth 9.0–10; caudal-peduncle width 3.9–4.6; maximum head depth 17–19; head depth through eye 13–15; head length 27–29; snout length 10–12; orbit length 5.4–6.4; upper-jaw length 9.8–11; barbel length 17–18; caudal-fin length 27–30; anal-fin height 15–17; pelvic-fin length 18–21; pectoral-fin length 19–21; first dorsal-fin height 18–21, dorsal-fin spines proportionally decreasing in height; second dorsal-fin height 15–17; total oblique bars on caudal fin 11 – 18, upper caudal-fin lobe with 5–7 mostly straight red or red-brown bars; lower caudal-fin lobe with 6–11 red or red-brown bars that are only faintly visible along ventral-lobe margin, becoming more conspicuous along central lobe; several of these bars and especially three of the most proximal ones reach dorsal-lobe margin, becoming pale reddish grey; lower caudal-fin lobe in life with a red or red-brown stripe of about orbit diameter in maximum width, covering bars only partly, that fades away post mortem; bars are mostly retained in the first years after preservation, but may be lost later; dorsal fins in fresh fish with 3–4 thin red or brown stripes, may be retained in preservative; barbels white or creamy white when fresh; body colour in freshly deceased fish dark red or dark brown dorsally and pale red or rose with red blotches or spots on lower half, ventral margin silvery white; a rather conspicuous dark brown, dark red or red mid-lateral body stripe of about pupil diameter in width at eye level from behind eye to caudal-fin base and in front of eye to nose tip, not retained in preservative; head below and behind eye silvery white, often covered with red patches or blotches; body and head dorsally grey or grey brown and ventrally often silvery white when preserved.

Distribution and size. Known from S Japan, including Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Kochi and Ehime Prefectures and Okinawa-jima Island, Ryukyu Islands, and Taiwan; occurs on sandy bottoms; depth 4–40 m; attains 144 mm SL.

Remarks. Upeneus ituoi is a rather common species which is often caught by set net in S Japan and has local commercial value. It co-occurs frequently with U. tragula Richardson, 1846 ( Yamashita et al. 2011). Two specimens have been collected off Tanega-shima Island, Osumi Islands in the same area as the HT of U. elongatus ( Tashiro et al. 2014) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. A: Upeneus dimipavlov n. sp., VNMN-I 2056, HT, 120 mm SL, N of Hon Tre Island, Nha Trang, S-central Vietnam (D.A. Pavlov); B, C: Upeneus elongatus n. sp., KAUM-I. 58746, HT, 89 mm SL, Tanega-shima Island, S Japan (H. Motomura); D, E: Upeneus itoui, Kagoshima Prefecture, S Japan; D: KAUM-I. 13591, PT, 104 mm SL; E: KAUM-I. 13595, PT, 118 mm SL; F: U. willwhite n. sp., CSIRO 7217-07, HT, 90 mm SL, Lombok, S Indonesia (W.T. White); G–J: U. cf. elongatus, Central Philippines, Visayas, adults, unvouchered; G: Panay; H: Leyte; I, J: Negros (P. & G. Poppe – https://poppe-images.com).

FIGURE 2. Relationship among two meristic and five morphometric characters in the four featured species of Upeneus and U. asymmetricus and U. pori.

FIGURE 3. Relationship among four morphometric characters in three featured species of Upeneus and U. guttatus.

FIGURE 4. Relationship among six morphometric characters in three featured species of Upeneus and U. australiae.

FIGURE 5. Relationship among one meristic and five morphometric characters in three featured species of Upeneus and U. floros.

FIGURE 6. Relationship among seven morphometric characters in three featured species of Upeneus and U. heterospinus.