Hypopterus macropterus ( Günther 1859 )

Iwatsuki, Yukio, Newman, Stephen J., Tanaka, Fumiya & Russell, Barry C., 2018, Validity of Psammoperca datnioides Richardson 1848 and redescriptions of P. waigiensis Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1828 and Hypopterus macropterus (Günther 1859) in the family Latidae (Perciformes) from the Indo-West Pacific, Zootaxa 4402 (3), pp. 467-486 : 476-482

Hypopterus macropterus ( Günther 1859)

English name: Spikey bass

Figure 3A‒B , Table 1

Psammoperca macroptera Günther 1859:69 (‘ Victoria, Australia’ = Shark Bay , Western Australia) ; McCulloch 1929:200 (‘Victoria’ [= Port Essington , Northern Territory] (H.M. S. ‘Herald’) – but probably Shark Bay , Western Australia, see Remarks below.

Psammoperca waigiensis (non Cuvier & Valenciennes); Greenwood 1976:77 ( Australia).

Hypopterus macropterus ; Allen & Swainston 1988:62 (north-western Australia); Paxton et al. 1989:482 (Australia); Allen 1997:98 (tropical Australia); Hutchins 2001:29 (Western Australia); Otero 2004:85 (noted as ‘Situation of Hypopterus ’ [see Remarks below], not examined); Allen et al. 2006:967 (Australia); Larson et al. 2013:93 (?NT, Australia).

Holotype. BMNH 1858.12 .27.34, 104 mm SL, ‘ Victoria, Australia’ = Shark Bay, Western Australia .

Non-type specimens. WAM P.30162-008, 89 mm SL, Shark Bay ; WAM P.30681-004, 138 mm SL, Monte Bello Islands , around 60 km’s north-northeastern offshore of Onslow between Shark Bay and Port Hedland, Western Australia ; WAM P.32311-008, 132 mm SL, Shark Bay , Western Australia .

Diagnosis. Distinguished other latid species by the following combination of characters: deeper body depth (42‒44% [mean 44%] of SL); lower counts, 6 ½/ 9 ½‒10 ½ scale rows above and below lateral line; lower counts of pored lateral-line scales (43‒44); gill rakers 7 [including 6 rudiments]+1+11 [including 3 rudiments]=19 [including 9 rudiments]; last dorsal-fin spine / penultimate dorsal-fin spine 1.7‒2.1; head and body olive brown, darker above lateral line and on dorsal region of head, lighter below, ventrally lighter silvery reflection with eight indistinct bands of ovoid dark spots in center of each scale on head and body.

Description. Counts and proportional measurements as percent of SL of the holotype and other specimens of Hypopterus macropterus ( Günther 1859) are shown in Table 1.

Body compressed, its depth 2.3‒2.4 times in SL, deepest at dorsal-fin origin; dorsal profile concave in interorbital region, rising steeply (convex) thereafter to dorsal-fin origin; head moderately short, its length 2.9‒3.1 times in SL; eye oval, height less than width, eye diameter 3.0‒3.2 times in head length; snout 1.9‒2.5 times in head length; interorbital space 61‒71% of eye diameter; mouth oblique, lower jaw projecting beyond upper one when closed; maxilla progressively deeper posteriorly, vertically extending to anterior level of black iris; villiform teeth present on jaws, palatines, pterygoids and vomer; tongue smooth; three sharp, strong spines on inferior margin of preopercle, a retrorse spine at angle of preopercle, the posterior margin of which bears 20‒24 in denticulation; a sharp spine at angle of operculum; separated from eye by distance slightly less than half length of black iris diameter; cleithrum and supracleithrum each with one serrae of exposed part.

First dorsal fin commencing slightly behind pelvic-fin, with seven spines, third spine longest (III>IV>V>II> VI> I>VII); base of first dorsal fin 3/5 of second dorsal fin; anal fin commencing beneath base of second-dorsal fin ray; second anal-fin spine length subequal to third one (II=III>I); pectoral fin 83‒108% of length of pelvic fin; pelvic-fin spine slightly less than 4th dorsal spine, subequal to 5th dorsal-fin spine; distal profiles of pectoral, pelvic, anal and second-dorsal fins rounded; caudal fin rounded, with 9 + 8 in principal rays of upper lobe + lower lobe, respectively; dorsal and ventral procurrent rays 8 + 7, respectively; caudal peduncle depth 63‒66% of its length; scales ctenoid; body and head scaled, except for snout, throat, preorbital and interorbital regions; dorsal and anal fins with a scaly sheath at base; second-dorsal, caudal, anal and lateral area of pelvic fin densely covered with minute scales; pored lateral-line scales extending onto median caudal-fin rays; 23 or 24 circumpeduncular scales; vertebrae 11 + 14 = 25.

Colouration. Based on WAM P.30162-008, 89 mm SL, Shark Bay, photographed by J. B. Hutchins, WAM P.30681-004, 138 mm SL, Monte Bello Islands, photographed by G. R. Allen, and WAM P.32311-008, 132 mm SL, Shark Bay, photographed by S. M. Morrison: Head and body olive brown, darker above lateral line and on dorsal region of head, lighter below, ventrally lighter silvery reflection with eight indistinct bands of ovoid dark spots at center of each scale on head and body, the first running from just above eye to just after posterior upper jaw, second running from nape to opercular process, third running from just before first dorsal-fin spine base to base of pectoral fin, fourth from posterior part of first dorsal fin spines to posterior part of pelvic fins when vented, fifth from anterior part of second dorsal-fin spines to third anal-fin spine base, sixth from posterior part of second dorsal fin to posterior part of anal fin rays, seventh on caudal peduncle from just after last dorsal-fin ray base vertically to lower caudal peduncle, eighth (last) on caudal fin base between dorsal and ventral procurrent rays (each band of upper part of dorsal head and body above lateral line Y-shaped-like). Fins greenish or olive brown, interradial membranes olive brownish hyaline. Dorsal fin, caudal and anal fins olive brown, pectoral and pelvic fins somewhat lighter greenish or olive brown. Horizontal scale rows with darker olive brown centres, forming horizontal and indistinct narrow stripes on body.

Remarks. The type specimen of Psammoperca macroptera Günther 1859 was collected by HMS Herald from ‘ Victoria, Australia’. McCulloch (1929:200) regarded the type locality as Victoria, Port Essington, Northern Territory. However, Randall & Hoese (1988), have suggested that species collected by the HMS Herald from ’Victoria’, were collected from the Victoria District of Western Australia, this name appearing on maps in the 1800's for the area north of Perth and south of Carnarvon, which includes Shark Bay that was visited by HMS Herald in 1858.

A poorly known species, Hypopterus macropterus ( Günther 1859) was put in synonymy with Psammoperca by Greenwood (1976, p. 77), who considered the type species of the genus Hypopterus ( Psammoperca macroptera Günther 1859 ) as a synonym of P. waigiensis . Subsequently, however, several authors ( Allen & Swainston 1988; Paxton et al. 1989) have considered this taxon to be a valid genus.

A combination of counts and morphometric characters for Hypopterus are quite different from those of Psammoperca and Lates : dorsal-fin rays VII-I, 14‒15 and anal-fin rays III, 14 (vs. VII-I, 1 2‒13 and anal-in rays III, 8 in two Psammoperca species; Table 1). Pored lateral-line scales in H. macropterus are lower, 43 or 44 (vs. 46‒48 in P. waigiensis and 52‒54 in P. datnioides ). Body depth in H. macropterus also is much deeper (42‒44% of SL vs. 29‒36% of SL in P. waigiensis and P. datnioides ; Table 1).

Furthermore, Lates differs from both Psammoperca and an extinct genus † Eolates in having three rows of pored lateral-line scales on the caudal fin (Otero 2004) but Psammoperca usually has one row of pored lateral-line scales on the caudal fin (Otero 2004). Lates differs from Psammoperca in having the nostril of each side close together (vs. the nostrils widely separated in Psammoperca ; Fig. 3 ). The nostrils are widely separate in Hypopterus , the anterior nostril is formed as a tube-shaped flap and posterior nostril is oval and also greater sized than that of the anterior one.

Accordingly, we conclude that the above meristic, external and internal characters of Hypopterus macropterus are sufficient to justify its placement in a separate genus. Further detailed examination of internal and external characters of Hypopterus macropterusis as well as genetic analysis could support a new phylogenetic relationship ( Lates , Psammoperca and Hypopterus , plus the extinct genus † Eolates ; see Otero 2004) under the family Latidae .

Table 1. Counts and morphometric data for Psammoperca datnioides Richardson 1848 , Psammoperca waigiensis (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1828) and Hypopterus macroppterus ( Günther1859) . Measurements expressed as percentages of standard length. The holotype data of Cnidon chinenis Müller & Troschel 1849 is included as parenthesis after the holotype data of Labrus waigiensis .

…continued on the next page Table 1. continued *Last dorsal - fin spine / Penultimate dorsal - fin spine: The proportion rate of the following character was calculated fin spine length (the penultimate dorsal - fin spine) of the first dorsal fin. **see “ Photographic confirmation. ” of P

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datnioides

In this study, K2P distance neighboring-joining tree of the COI gene (612 bp) of latid species of Hypopterus , Lates , and Psammoperca in the family Latidae (plus Centropomus undecimalis [Bloch] as the outgroup) showed two major clades: Lates species and other two genera, Psammoperca and Hypopterus ( Fig. 4 ). Phylogenetic position of the COI sequence (612 bp) in H. macropterus strongly suggests it is closely related to Psammoperca and belongs to the family Latidae .

Distribution. Currently known only from Shark Bay, Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 4. K2P distance neighboring-joining tree of the COI gene (612 bp) of latid species of Hypopterus, Lates, and Psammoperca in the family Latidae with Centropomus undecimalis as the outgroup.

FIGURE3. Snout regionof four latidspecies: A, Lates japonicus, MUFS 11877, 253 mm SL, Miyazaki,Japan; B, Hypopterus macropterus, WAM P.30681-004, 138 mm SL, Shark Bay, Western Australia; C, Psammoperca datnioides, WAMP.34451-001 (024,X), 204 mmSL, Corronban Coastnear Shark Bay, Western Australia; D, Psammoperca waigiensis, Chantaburi,Thailand.