Peristedion nierstraszi Weber, 1913

Ono, Makoto & Kawai, Toshio, 2014, Review of Armored Searobins of the Genus Peristedion (Teleostei: Peristediidae) in Japanese Waters, Species Diversity 19, pp. 117-131 : 126-128

Peristedion nierstraszi Weber, 1913

[Japanese name: Heri-kihoubou] ( Figs 2D , 3D , 7 ; Table 4)

Peristedion nierstraszi Weber, 1913 (type locality: Flores Sea); Kamohara 1936: 437, pl. 29-1 (Tosa Bay and Flores Sea); Okada and Matsubara 1938: 352: (Chiba, Tosa Bay, and Flores Sea); Kamohara 1952: 5 (southern Japan, Philippines, and Flores Sea); Matsubara 1955: 1175 (southern Japan, Philippines, and Flores Sea); Kamohara 1964: 80 (Chiba and Toyama to Philippines and Flores Sea); Miller 1974: 69 (relationships); Ochiai and Yatou 1984: 320, pl. 301F, G, but figures appear to be P. orientale based on straight perifacial rims and 2 dark bands in dorsal fin rays (southern Japan and Philippines); Shinohara and Matsuura 1997: 299 (Suruga Bay); Yamada 1993: 531 (southern Japan and Philippines); Yatou 1997: 216, fig. 11 (southern Japan and Philippines); Funabashi 1998: 94 (Ibaraki); Richards 1999: 2362 (western central Pacific); Richards 2000: 607 (South China Sea); Yamada 2000 (southern Japan and Philippines); Funabashi 2001: 413 (Kashimanada); Shinohara et al. 2001: 317 (Tosa Bay); Yamada 2002: 610 (southern Japan and Philippines); Shao et al. 2008: 247 (southern Taiwan); Yamada and Yanagishita 2013: 727 (south to Pacific coast of Ibaraki, Taiwan, and East China Sea); Ho et al. 2013: 47, fig. 3 ( Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines).

Material examined. 59 specimens, 50.8–146 mm SL. BSKU 357–359 , 3 , 92.0–142, Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 11 April 1951; BSKU 648 , 1 , 89.6 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 19 February 1951; BSKU 689 , 691 , 2 , 86.2 – 133 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 5 March 1951; BSKU 1616 , 1617 , 2 , 72.0–90.8, Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 24 January 1952; BSKU 9553 , 9554 , 2 , 136–141 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 20 February 1949; BSKU 13169–13172 , 4 , 116–132 , off Cape Ashizuri , Tosashimizu , 420–555 m depth, 2–6 June 1968; BSKU 57002 , 58492 , 58494 , 3 , 114–128 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 10 December 2001; BSKU 58649 , 1 , 116 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 30 January 2002; BSKU 58655 , 1 , 121 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 7 December 2001; BSKU 68237 , 1 , 139 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 26 October 2003; BSKU 69888 , 1 , 78.6 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 11 February 2004; BSKU 90197 , 1 , 82.9 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 13 November 2006; BSKU 93855 , 1 , 126 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 28 January 2008; BSKU 96995 , 1 , 73.7 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 23 November 2007; BSKU 97002 , 1 , 93.3 , Mimase Fish Market , Kochi, 11 December 2007; FAKU M6918 , 1 , 50.8 , Suruga Bay , Shizuoka, 273 m depth, 23 July 1938; FAKU M7000 , M7006 , M7007 , M7015 , M7016 , 5, 81.9–112, Suruga Bay , Shizuoka, 364–455 m depth, 24–25 June 1939; FAKU 18973 , 18979 , 18989 , 3 , 81.2 – 92.6 , off Owase, 12–17 November 1952; FAKU 19571 , 19578 , 19580 , 19581 , 19583 , 5 , 69.5 – 122 , off Nobeoka, 10 December 1952; FAKU 20569 , 1 , 129 , off Mitani, Gamagori, 10 April 1953; FAKU 24297 , 1 , 101 , off Owase, 25 October to 10 November 1954; FAKU 24517 , 24518 , 2 , 59.1 – 110 , off Owase, 24 September to 9 October 1954; FAKU 34588 , 34589 , 2 , 59.1 – 64.3 , off Owase, 12–14 November 1961; FAKU 103722 , 1 , 146 , Suruga Bay , Shizuoka, 364–455 m depth, 24–25 November 1939; FAKU 103816 , 1 , 107 , Mimase Fish Market, Kochi, 10 January 1959; FRLM 33328 , 1 , 135 , Kumano-nada, bottom trawl, 29 May 2007; HUMZ 36418 , 1 , 56.6 , Kochi; HUMZ 49906 , 49908 , 49911 , 49912 , 4 , 65.9 – 134 , Mitani Fish Market, Gamagori, 13 November 1975; HUMZ 51840 , 1 , 80.5 , Mitani Fish Market, Gamagori, 13 March 1976; HUMZ 52191 , 1 , 125 , Mitani Fish Market, Gamagori, 25 March 1976; NSMT-P 11223 , 1 , 139 , Suruga Bay , Shizuoka, 1 April 1967; NSMT-P 46064 , 1 , 133 , Suruga Bay , Shizuoka, 25 October 1993; NSMT-P 46519 , 1 , 128 , Suruga Bay, Shizuoka, 25 October 1994; NSMT-P 81283 , 1 , 130 , Suruga Bay, Shizuoka, 19 December 1983 .

Non-Japanese material examined (5 specimens, 123– 144 mm SL). HUMZ 185186 , 1 , 144 , Dong-gang Fishing Port, Taiwan, 28 August 2002; HUMZ 194093 , 1 , 123 , off Java, Indonesia (05°45.7′S, 102°32.1′E to 05°46.6′S, 102°33.3′E), 405–418 m depth, bottom trawl, 31 May 2005; HUMZ 194644 , 1 , 136 , off Java, Indonesia (05°47.9′S, 102°34.0′E to 05°46.9′S, 102°33.3′E), 408–409 m depth, bottom trawl, 22 July 2005; ZMA 112.441 , syntype of Peristedion nierstraszi , 1, 125, Flores Sea, 07°35.4′S, 117°28.6′E ( Siboga station 38), 521 m depth; ZMA 112.442 , syntype of P . nierstraszi, 1, ca. 137, Flores Sea, 07°19.4′S, 116°49.5′E ( Siboga station 316), 538 m depth .

Diagnosis. Rostral projection narrowly triangle with rounded margin on medial side at base; anterior edge of fourth sensory pore of rostral projection anterior to anterior edge of premaxilla; perifacial rim prominent laterally starting at anterior margin of lower jaw; 21–32 branches on filamentous barbel; total chin barbels 17–26.

Description. Counts and measurements provided in Table 4. Body fusiform, depth 5.4–8.8 in SL, width 6.0– 9.4 in SL, covered with bony plates. Head large, depressed, length 2.7–3.4 in SL. Perifacial rim prominent laterally starting at anterior margin of lower jaw ( Fig. 2D ), composed of second and third infraorbitals and preopercle rim, gradually increasing in width posteriorly, terminating at posterior edge of preopercle with posterior margin nearly perpendicular to side of head. Pair of narrowly triangular rostral projections with medial margin curved at base ( Fig. 2D ); both projections parallel or slightly divergent anteriorly ( Fig. 3D ) with single spine on each base. Anterior edge of fourth sensory pore of rostral projection anterior to anterior edge of premaxilla ( Fig. 2D ). Mouth moderately large. Both jaws toothless. Upper jaw symphysis loose. Lower jaw with single mandibular ridge. Vomer and palatine toothless. Three groups of barbels on lip: first group with cluster of three barbels (rarely one, two, or four), second with four barbels (rarely two, three, or five), and third consisting of filamentous barbel with 21–32 branches; filamentous barbel moderately long, reaching posterior margin of lower jaw. Six (rarely seven) groups of barbels on chin, 17–26 in total. Gill rakers on first arch rudimentary, comb-like with minute prominences on inner side. Gill membrane narrowly united to isthmus. Eye large. Interorbital space deeply concave, width nearly equal to orbital diameter, 3.6–4.5 in HL. One or two rudimentary spines on lateral side of second infraorbital (two tiny spines in juveniles). Single strong spine on opercle. No spines on nasal, lateral ethmoid, and mesethmoid. Single smooth ridge present laterally on fourth infraorbital. Frontal-1 spine stout, small, on dorsoposterior part of orbit. Frontal-2 spine weakly prominent. Parietal spine large, stout. Posterior edge of posttemporal ridge with large, stout spine.

Bony plates in four rows on trunk. Dorsal row: single backward-directed spine on each plate; these spines decreasing in size posteriorly, reduced to low ridge on caudal peduncle, except for single strong spine with serrate edge on last two plates. Upper lateral row: first to third plates small, slanted obliquely downward to sixth plate; successive bony plates formed by sixth–eighth and seventh–ninth (mode seventh and eighth) and ninth–11th and 10th–12th (mode 10th and 11th) plates; each plate with backward-directed smooth spine, except for posteriormost plate with serrate spine; 21st–25th to 34th–37th (mode 23th to 35th) in upper lateral row with single forward-directed spine. Lower lateral row: first plate largest; each with backward-directed spine; row of plates ending at caudal peduncle. Ventral row: each plate with backward-directed spine; spines decreasing in size posteriorly; last two plates on caudal having serrate edge; row of plates absent at caudal peduncle. Bony plates in front of anus usually two (rarely three), with low ridge and no spines; contralateral pairs of plates sutured along ventral midline raggedly.

Dorsal fin originating between first and second bony plates in dorsal row, second and third fin spines situated on second bony plate. Almost all soft rays originating between bony plates. Dorsal spines and soft rays connected by fin membrane. Anal fin originating between first and second, second and third, or third and fourth bony plates in ventral row, remainder of soft rays originating on bony plates. Last dorsal spine and last dorsal and anal soft rays small, scarcely visible. Joined pectoral fin rays reaching to 10th–12th bony plate in upper lateral row (11th–12th in juveniles). Fourth or fifth pectoral fin ray longest. Two detached pectoral fin rays thick; upper one based anterior to base of lowest joined fin ray (11th, 12th, or 13th fin ray), longer than joined fin rays, reaching to first or second anal fin ray; lower detached fin ray originating anterior to base of upper one. Pelvic fin soft rays gradually elongated from anterior to posterior. Lower detached fin ray and pelvic fin reaching anus. Caudal fin emarginate.

Color in alcohol. Head and body light brown. Dorsal fin with black margin. Joined pectoral fin with three blotches, one near base of upper half, one in middle (lighter than other two blotches), and one on posterior part. Both upper and lower detached pectoral fin rays clear. Anal fin and pelvic fin light brown. Dorsal margin of caudal fin black and ventral margin light brown.

Distribution. Known from the Sea of Japan, Pacific Ocean off Japan, East China Sea, South China Sea, Flores Sea, and Indian Ocean off Indonesia on bottoms at 100– 590 m depth.

Remarks. Peristedion nierstraszi was previously known only from the western Pacific (e.g., Richards 1999; Yamada and Yanagishita 2013). Two specimens collected off Java, Indonesia (HUMZ 194093, 194644) are the first records from the Indian Ocean.

Figures

Fig. 2. Ventral view of head of Japanese species of Peristedion. A, Peristedion orientale, HUMZ 188920, 143mm SL; B, Peristedion liorhynchus, HUMZ 80306, 187mm SL; C, Peristedion amblygenys, HUMZ 188916, 134mm SL; D, Peristedion nierstraszi, BSKU 689, 133mm SL. Solid triangle points to rounded margin. Open triangle points to straight margin. Shaded areas indicate prominent perifacial rim. Barbels omitted.

Fig. 3. Dorsal view of head of Japanese species of Peristedion. A, Peristedion orientale, HUMZ 188920, 143mm SL; B, Peristedion liorhynchus, HUMZ 80306, 187mm SL; C, Peristedion amblygenys, HUMZ 188916, 134mm SL; D, Peristedion nierstraszi, BSKU 689, 133mm SL.

Fig. 7. Peristedion nierstraszi, lateral view, HUMZ 52191, 125mm SL.