Pseudochromis colei Herre

Gill, Anthony C., Allen, Gerald R. & Erdmann, Mark, 2012, Two new species of striped Pseudochromis from the Philippine Islands and Indonesia, with a redescription of P. c o l e i (Perciformes: Pseudochromidae), Zootaxa 3165, pp. 25-38 : 35-38

Pseudochromis colei Herre

False Bandit Dottyback Figures 6–7 , Table 1

Pseudochromis colei Herre, 1933: 18 (type locality: Culion, Philippine Islands); Herre, 1934: 45 (list); Roxas & Martin, 1937: 123 (list); Herre, 1953: 372 (list); Böhlke, 1953: 70 (list); Gill & Randall, 1992: 44 (comparison); Gill, 2000: 2563 (key); Gill, 2004: 91, figs 35–36 (description, distribution).

Diagnosis. A species of Pseudochromis with the following combination of characters: palatine tooth patches inserted medially behind vomerine tooth patch; circumpeduncular scales 16; and upper part of body with dark longitudinal stripe extending from middle of upper lip through eye above anterior lateral line to mid-upper caudal-fin rays.

Description (based on three specimens, 28.2–59.6 mm SL; holotype values are provided elsewhere by Gill 2004). Dorsal-fin rays III,24, last 7–19 segmented rays branched; anal-fin rays III,14–15, last 4–15 segmented rays branched; pectoral-fin rays 17–18; upper procurrent caudal-fin rays 6–7; lower procurrent caudal-fin rays 6; total caudal-fin rays 29–30; scales in lateral series 33–36; anterior lateral-line scales 28–30; anterior lateral line terminating beneath segmented dorsal-fin ray 18–20; posterior lateral-line scales 5–12 + 1; scales between lateral lines 3; horizontal scale rows above anal-fin origin 11–13 + 1+ 2–3 = 14–17; circumpeduncular scales 16; predorsal scales 15–17; scales behind eye 2–3; scales to preopercular angle 5; gill rakers 4–7 + 12–13 = 16–19; pseudobranch filaments 9–12; circumorbital pores 22–27; preopercular pores 11–16; dentary pores 4; posterior interorbital pores 1.

Lower lip incomplete; scales absent from dorsal and anal fin bases; predorsal scales extending anteriorly to point ranging from mid AIO pores to midway between anterior AIO and posterior nasal pores; opercle with 3–5 relatively large serrations; teeth of outer ceratobranchial-1 gill rakers well-developed, arranged in two rows running most of length of rakers; anterior dorsal-fin pterygiophore formula S/S/S + 3/1 + 1/1/1/1/1/1/1 + 1; dorsal-fin spines pungent and stout; anterior anal-fin pterygiophore formula 3/1 + 1*/1/1/1 + 1/1/1 + 1; anal-fin spines pungent and stout, second spine stouter than third; pelvic-fin spine pungent and stout; second segmented pelvic-fin ray longest; caudal fin truncate to emarginate; vertebrae 10 + 16; epineurals 13–14; epurals 3.

Upper jaw with 2–4 pairs of curved, enlarged caniniform teeth, and about 3–4 (at symphysis) to 2–3 (on sides of jaw) inner rows of small conical teeth, outermost of rows of conical teeth much larger and more curved than inner rows; lower jaw with 1–3 pairs of curved, caniniform teeth, and about 3 (at symphysis) to 1 (on sides of jaw) inner rows of small conical teeth, teeth on middle of jaw larger and curved; vomer with 1–2 rows of small conical teeth, forming chevron; palatine with 1–2 irregular rows of small conical teeth arranged in elongate patch, anterior tip of patch directed medially behind posterolateral arm of vomerine tooth patch; ectopterygoid edentate; tongue moderately pointed and edentate.

As percentage of SL: head length 22.5–28.7; orbit diameter 8.1–11.0; snout length 6.6–6.7; fleshy interorbital width 5.5–6.0; bony interorbital width 3.7–4.3; body width 11.0–12.9; snout tip to posterior tip of retroarticular bone 15.8–16.0; predorsal length 35.1–37.6; prepelvic length 31.7–36.9; posterior tip of retroarticular bone to pelvic-fin origin 16.8–23.8; dorsal-fin origin to pelvic-fin origin 29.0–31.2; dorsal-fin origin to middle dorsal-fin ray 33.7–34.1; dorsal-fin origin to anal-fin origin 42.9–43.9; pelvic-fin origin to anal-fin origin 28.4–31.2; middle dorsal-fin ray to dorsal-fin termination 23.9–24.8; middle dorsal-fin ray to anal-fin origin 28.9–29.8; anal-fin origin to dorsal-fin termination 36.2–36.3; anal-fin base length 27.3–29.4; dorsal-fin termination to anal-fin termination 16.6–16.9; dorsal-fin termination to caudal peduncle dorsal edge 8.0–10.4; dorsal-fin termination to caudal peduncle ventral edge 18.1–19.9; anal-fin termination to caudal peduncle dorsal edge 21.0–22.0; anal-fin termination to caudal peduncle ventral edge 11.5–12.9; first dorsal-fin spine 3.2–4.3; second dorsal-fin spine 6.6–8.9; third dorsalfin spine 10.2–12.4; first segmented dorsal-fin ray 12.7–14.2; fourth last segmented dorsal-fin ray 17.3–19.1; first anal-fin spine 2.4–2.8; second anal-fin spine 6.8–8.1; third anal-fin spine 9.0–10.3; first segmented anal-fin ray 12.2–14.2; fourth last segmented anal-fin ray 14.6–17.1; third pectoral-fin ray 16.7–17.3; pelvic-fin spine 11.7– 12.2; second segmented pelvic-fin ray 20.6–24.5; caudal-fin length 24.0–26.6.

Live coloration (based on photographs of live specimens in northern Palawan; Figure 6 ): nape and dorsal contour of head and body dark brown; dark grey to black stripe extending from behind middle of eye to upper part of caudal-fin base; dark grey to black stripe extending from midanterior edge of eye to mid-upper part of upper lip; remainder of head and body below dark stripes pale yellow, becoming pink to mauve posteriorly, this darkest in a broad stripe extending from lower abdomen to lower part of caudal peduncle; curved pale to bright blue bar around posteroventral part of eye to midlower part of upper lip; iris reddish brown to dark grey, with bright blue suboval ring around pupil; nape with scattered dark grey to black spots; scales within pale pink to mauve area of body each with narrow yellow to pale orange posterior margin, which align to form indistinct oblique bars; dorsal part of caudal peduncle above dark grey to black stripe pinkish grey; dorsal fin orangish brown basally, orangish hyaline distally, with indistinct pale blue distal margin; anal fin pinkish hyaline, with two or three bluish grey to blue stripes and blue distal margin; caudal fin pinkish hyaline, with black stripe on caudal-fin base extending to middle of upper fin rays; pectoral and pelvic fins pinkish to yellowish hyaline.

Preserved coloration: pattern similar to live coloration, the dark stripes on head and body remain, becoming dark brown to dark grey-brown; head and body above and below stripes brown and pale brown, respectively; dorsal and anal fins pale brown basally, the remainder of fins brownish hyaline; dark stripe on caudal fin becoming dark brown to dark grey brown, the remainder of fin pale brown to brownish hyaline; pectoral and pelvic fins pale brown to brownish hyaline.

Habitat and distribution. Pseudochromis colei was previously known only from the holotype collected at Culion, Culion Island, in the Calamianes Group, Philippine Islands. Its range is extended to north eastern Palawan on the basis of two specimens collected in Imorigue Channel ( Figure 7 ). No habitat information was provided in Herre’s original description of P. c o l e i. The Palawan specimens were collected in 22 m depth at the bottom of a current-swept channel with strong coastal influences (relatively low visibility and otherwise silty conditions). Both individuals were associated with low rocky outcrops covered with sea fans.

Comparisons. See comparisons above for P. a m m e r i.

Remarks. Gill (2004) provided a description and photograph of the holotype of P. c o l e i. Herre (1933) named the species for Dr Howard I. Cole, chemist of the leper colony at Culion at the time Herre made collections in the area.

Material examined. PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: Calamianes Group, Culion Island, Culion, CAS-SU 30974, 1, 59.6 mm SL (holotype); Palawan, Imorique Channel, 11°10’N 119°33’E, WAM P.33000-001, 2, 28.2–41.0 mm SL.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pseudochromis colei, WAM P. 33000 - 001, 41.0 mm SL, Imorigue Channel, Palawan, Philippine Islands. (Photo by G. R. Allen)

FIGURE 7. Distribution records for Pseudochromis colei.