Pseudogramma guineensis (Norman, 1935)

Peter Wirtz, Carlos Eduardo L. Ferreira, Sergio R. Floeter, Ronald Fricke, Joao Luiz Gasparini, Tomio Iwamoto, Luiz Rocha, Claudio L. S. Sampaio & Ulrich K. Schliewen, 2007, Coastal Fishes of Sao Tome and Principe islands, Gulf of Guinea (Eastern Atlantic Ocean) - an update., Zootaxa 1523, pp. 1-48 : 10

Pseudogramma guineensis (Norman, 1935)

Pseudogramma guineensis was previously known only from the holotype (as redescribed by Randall and Baldwin, 1997: 31-32, fig. 6). The specimens in SMNS 25235 (18.2-25.5 mm SL) from rocky bottom in 22 m depth at Sete Pedras agree with the holotype in lacking a supraorbital tentacle, having VII, 20 dorsal fin rays, and 17-18 pectoral fin rays. The SMNS specimens have III, 17 and III, 16 anal fin rays, respectively, while the similar species P. gregoryi (Breder, 1927) has III, 14-16. The holotype of P. guineensis has 16 lateral line scales, while SMNS has 22-24, and P. gregoryi has 24-30. The lateral scales in a longitudinal row are 48 in the holotype of P. guineensis , 46-48 in SMNS 25235, and 42-46 in P. gregoryi . Lateral line scales and longitudinal lateral scale rows are thus not useful to distinguish the two species. Brito et al. (1999) recorded Pseudogramma bermudensis (Kanazawa, 1952) from the Cape Verde Islands. Lubbock (1980) recorded this species from Ascension Island. Pseudogramma bermudensis is a synonym of P. gregoryi (Breder, 1927) . Alberto Brito informed us (pers. comm. to PW) that his specimen from the Cape Verde Islands has now been re-identified as P. guineensis and suggested that the São Tomé Pseudogramma might belong to this species. The identity of the Ascension Pseudogramma needs checking.