Meiacanthus erdmanni, Smith-Vaniz, William F. & Allen, Gerald R., 2011

Smith-Vaniz, William F. & Allen, Gerald R., 2011, Three new species of the fangblenny genus Meiacanthus from Indonesia, with color photographs and comments on other species (Teleostei: Blenniidae: Nemophini), Zootaxa 3046, pp. 39-58 : 47-49

Meiacanthus erdmanni new species

Figs 12‒13 , Table 1

Holotype. MZB 20023, 35.8 mm SL, male, Indonesia, West Papua Province, Cenderawasih Bay, patch reef north of Tridacna Atoll, 2°25.830'S, 134°54.409'E, 65 m, at base of steep outer reef slope, clove oil and hand-net, Mark V. Erdmann, 20 Sept. 2010.

Diagnosis. A species of Meiacanthus (subgenus Meiacanthus ) with major portion of dentary gland dorsally positioned and held in place laterally by dorsolateral flange of dentary; dorsal fin IV, 24; color pattern characterized by two mid-lateral dark stripes, and dorsal fin with a dark submarginal stripe and about 10 dark proximal blotches.

Description. Dorsal fin IV, 24. Anal fin II, 14. Pectoral fin 14-14. Caudal fin: procurrent rays 5+5; segmented rays 11, inner rays not elongated or deeply incised. Vertebrae: precaudal 13 + caudal 20. A pair of canines posteriorly in each jaw, those in lower jaw very large with a deep frontal groove; incisor teeth 16 in lower and upper jaws. Lateral line present, terminating below 5th dorsal-fin ray; mandibular and posttemporal pores 3; single median supratemporal pore.

Sexual dimorphism probably well developed in pelvic and caudal fins based on their relative lengths in the male holotype compared to other species of Meiacanthus : pelvic fin 37.7% SL; longest caudal-fin ray 52.8% SL; inner caudal-fin ray 21.5% SL.

Color pattern in preservation. Head and body with three dark stripes, separated by pale interspaces. Dorsalmost stripe very incomplete, extending on head and along dorsal body contour to first dorsal-fin ray and then as an irregular series of blotches, those on the posterior half of the fin only slightly extending onto dorsum; all of these blotches extend onto the basal third of the fin, and all except the first blotch and the last four connected basally to an adjacent blotch. The middle stripe extends from the margin of the upper lip through the eye, encroaches slightly onto the dorsal part of the pectoral-fin base and bluntly terminates on the base of the caudal fin. The ventral stripe extends from the lower jaw, beneath the eye, through the lower half of the pectoral-fin base and bluntly terminates on the caudal-fin base. The posteriodorsal region of the caudal peduncle is also dark. On the head a narrow, poorly defined, pale predorsal stripe separates the dorsalmost dark stripe from its counterpart. Dorsal fin with a narrow pale margin anteriorly which gradually widens and becomes dusky, below which is a dark submarginal stripe that is darkest anteriorly and tapers as it extends to the end of the fin. Remainder of fin is white except for a series of about ten, irregular, dark blotches along the basal third of the fin, with those on the posterior half of fin smaller and only slightly extending onto the dorsal body contour. Other fins pale except the pectoral-fin rays which are narrowly outlined in black.

Colour in life ( Fig. 13 ). The live color pattern is similar to that described above. The dark stripes are reddish brown to nearly blackish with intervening white stripes on the body. The two main body stripes have light brown margins. The belly region is light blue. The pale ground color of the dorsal fin is bluish and the distal margin of the fin is brown. The other fins are mainly pale gray to hyalin.

Comparisons. Among species of Meiacanthus with a pair of mid-lateral stripes, only M. erdmanni has a series of dark blotches proximally on the dorsal fin. Other double-striped species also have more (25–27) segmented dorsal-fin rays. Meiacanthus grammistes , the only other species of Meiacanthus known from Cenderawasih Bay, occurs in shallower depths, usually in 3– 15 m.

Etymology. Named for Mark V. Erdmann, who collected the holotype, and in acknowledgement of his efforts to promote conservation of the Bird's Head biodiversity hot spot and document the fishes of the region.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Meiacanthus erdmanni, holotype, MZB 20023, 35.8 mm SL, male, Indonesia, West Papua Province, Cenderawasih Bay. Photo by S. J. Raredon.

FIGURE 13. Meiacanthus erdmanni, holotype, Photo by M. V. Erdmann.