Apogon bryx Fraser, 1998

Thomas H. Fraser, 2005, A review of the species in the Apogon fasciatus group with a description of a new species of cardinalfish from the Indo-West Pacific (Perciformes: Apogonidae)., Zootaxa 924, pp. 1-30 : 23-25

Apogon bryx Fraser, 1998

Type Material. Holotype CAS 34408 , 42.5 mm SL; Philippines, Luzon Island, Batangas Province, Balayan Bay, south of Barrio Nonong Casto, in 146-155 m . J. E. Norton. 25 Jun 1966. x-rayed.

Other Material: Indian Ocean : Eritrea: HUJ 11765 (1, 45) . Mozambique: SAIAB 3075 (2, 39-43); Lurio ; 8 Aug 1950; x-ray . SAIAB 3074 (1, 31); Nacala ; 26- 27 Oct 1956; x-ray . SAIAB 3073 (2, 44-46); Mozambique I. ; Jun 1950; x-ray . USNM 213372 ; (4, 38- 45); Anton Bruun Cr. 8; LK 64-46 ; 9 Oct 1964; 19°09'S 36°55'E; 88 m . Somalia: USNM 213373 ; (6, 43.3-48.7); 11°18'N 51°08'E; Anton Bruun Cr. 9, Sta 459 ; 17 Dec 1964; 25-29 m; x-ray . Thailand: USNM 213366 (6, 50-60); 9°54'N 97°42'E; Anton Bruun Cr. 1, Sta 21 ; Mar 24 1963; 70 m; x-ray . India: FMNH 75675 ; (1, 41); west of Cochin Harbor entrance ; 7 Apr 1964 . Bangladesh: USMN 213369 (1, 51.9); USNM 213310 ; (1, 26); 21°00'N 91°59'E; Anton Bruun Cr. 1 Sta 46 ; 5 Apr 1963; 23-25 m . Myanmar: USNM 213367 ; (20, 28-60); Anton Bruun Cr. 1; Sta 22 ; 24 Mar 1963; 10°37'N 97°34'E; 96 m . USNM 213368 ; (4, 36-59); Anton Bruun Cr. 1; Sta 37 ; 30 Mar 1963; 13°28'N 97°19'E; 72 m . USNM 213369 ; (1, 51.9); Anton Bruun Cr. 1; Sta 38 ; 30 Mar 1963; 14°07'N 97°05'E; 62 m . USNM 213370 ; (6, 25-41); Anton Bruun Cr. 1; Sta 47B ; 5 Apr 1963; 20°27'N 92°20'E; 20 m . USNM 213371 ; (1, 49); Anton Bruun Cr. 1; Sta 48 ; 5 Apr 1963 19°41'N 93°08'E; 38 m . Pacific Ocean: Australia: AMS I. 20753032 ; (3, 38-47); Queensland, NW of Nymph I. , 14°36'S 145°E; 8 Feb 1979; 14-15 m; x-ray . Indonesia: USNM 171464 ; (26, 19-40); Makassas Strait; D5644 ); 16 Dec 1909 . Philippines: USNM 361108 ; (36, 19-37); Panabutan Point; D5131 ; 6 Feb 1908 .

Diagnosis. A species of the subgenus Ostorhinchus with VI spines in first dorsal fin; three dark stripes on upper half of head and body, the broadest and midlateral, reaching end of caudal fin, two narrow stripes, the upper stripe reaching to base of second dorsal fin, the lower stripe reaching caudal fin base; no dark stripes in second dorsal or anal fins; 23-26 gill rakers and rudiments; 14 or 15 pectoral rays; blackish stomach and intestine, peritoneum silvery with many melanophores.

Description. See Figure 9 for general body shape and Table 1 for proportional percentages.

Dorsal fin VI-I,9; anal fin II,8; pectoral fin usually 14-14 or 15-15 (Table 2); pelvic fin I,5; principal caudal rays 9 + 8; pored lateral-line scales 24, extend from posttemporal onto base of caudal fin; transverse scale rows above lateral line 2;transverse scale rows below lateral line 6; median predorsal scales 6; circumpeduncular scale rows 12 (5+2+5).

Villiform teeth in several rows on the premaxilla; two rows on the dentary; one row on the palatine and vomer; none on ectopterygoid, entopterygoid or basihyal. Rudiments and gill rakers on first arch (Table 3), 1-2 rudiments and 4-6 gill rakers on upper arch, 0-1 rudiments and 17-19 gill rakers on lower arch, 23-26 well developed gill rakers, 21-24 total gill rakers and rudiments.

Vertebrae 10 + 14; 5 free hypurals, 1 pair of slender uroneurals, 3 epurals, a free parhypural; 3 predorsals; 1 spine on first dorsal pterygiophore; basisphenoid present; supramaxilla absent; posttemporal serrate on posterior margin; preopercle serrate on vertical and horizontal margins; infraorbital shelf present on third bone.

Ctenoid scales on opercle, subopercle, cheek, breast, nape body and pelvic areas; ctenoid pored lateral-line scales from posttemporal to base of hypural; central pore canal on lateral-line scale with 2-3 pores on dorsal side, simple below with 1 pore, rarely with multiple pores.

Color in alcohol. Median stripe from interorbit area to predorsal area (may be faint), stripe from interorbit over eye on each side of the body above the lateral line extending to caudal-fin base, a faint narrow stripe beginning behind eye extending to base of caudal fin above midlateral stripe, midlateral stripe (about width of pupil) from snout to end of caudal fin, ventral edge of midlateral stripe on body smooth. No stripes in second dorsal or anal fins. Stomach black, intestine pale with melanophores more intense and appearing black near the anal opening, peritoneum silvery with many melanophores.

Life colors. Smith (1961) described the living colors of Apogon kiensis (= Apogon bryx ) as “Alive silvery grey with dark stripes as in fig. 5. Fins faint pink.”

Distribution. This species reported from 14-155 m in coastal shelf waters of Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Australia and the Philippines (Fig. 8). Smith (1961) reported this species from turbid water.

Remarks. This species has been taken at the same station with Apogon fasciatus (USNM 357476 and 357477). This species differs from Apogon kiensis , a close relative, by having more rudiments and gill rakers (23-26 versus 19-22), and a narrow dark stripe just above the midline stripe between the dorsal stripe (not present in A. kiensis ). Fraser (1998) compared Apogon bryx with western Indian Ocean material which he thought was an undescribed species noting the lack of any dark stripes and 14 pectoral rays as primary differences. The completely faded holotype of A. bryx and the previously undescribed species in the Indian Ocean are conspecific.