Parapercis muronis ( Tanaka, 1918 )

Johnson, Jeffrey W. & Wilmer, Jessica Worthington, 2018, Three new species of Parapercis (Perciformes: Pinguipedidae) and first records of P. muronis (Tanaka, 1918) and P. rubromaculata Ho, Chang & Shao, 2012 from Australia, Zootaxa 4388 (2), pp. 151-181 : 176-178

Parapercis muronis ( Tanaka, 1918)

English name: Five-barred Sandperch Figures 1 , 7–8 ; Tables 1–2, 4–5

Molecular results. Genetic analyses support the view that populations of P. muronis from Japan, the Philippines and Western Australia are conspecific, with genetic divergences of no greater than 0.4% between them. In close harmony with the morphological analyses, the most closely related sampled congener is P. macrophthalma (average of 3.6 % divergent), followed by P. binivirgata (7.7%) and P. algrahami (8.6%) (fig. 1; Table 1).

Distribution and abundance. Parapercis muronis is now known from Japan and Taiwan ( Ho & Johnson, 2013); the Philippines, from south-west of Manila Bay, Luzon Island (14°00’N 120°19’01.2”E) (this study) and off Iloilo City, Panay Island (ca 10°41’N 122°35’E) (Motomura et al., 2017: 189); and Australia, from west-southwest of Barrow Island (20°59’25”S 114°43’44”E), northward to north-west of Cape Leveque (14°59’25.2”S 121°39’09”E), Western Australia (this study) (fig. 8). Parapercis muronis appears relatively common off Western Australia at depths of 126–210 m where suitable habitat exists, with 27 specimens known from 11 sites.

The record of P. macrophthalma from Western Australia by Gloerfelt-Tarp & Kailola (1984: 242–243, 351) is here confirmed as a misidentification of P. muronis based on our examination of their voucher specimens (AMS I.22807-038), and their colour photograph (p. 242, lower fig.).

Discussion. Tanaka (1918) described P. muronis based on a specimen from Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. It has subsequently been figured and reported from localities elsewhere in Japan (e.g. Cantwell, 1964: 254– 255; Shinohara, 1997: 553, fig. 4; Shimida, 2002: 1064) and in Taiwan ( Shen, 1984a: pl. 115, fig. 371-12b). However, Ho & Johnson (2013) confirmed that some records from Japan (e.g. Masuda et al., 1984: pl. 260E), most illustrations from Taiwan (e.g. Shen, 1984a: pl. 115, fig. 371-12a, c) and all available voucher specimens from Taiwan at that time except for one (e.g. Shen, 1984b: 30) were misidentifications of P. macrophthalma ( Pietschmann, 1911) .

Research trawls off the north-west coast of Western Australia by CSIRO vessels FRV Soela in 1982–1988 and FRV Southern Surveyor in 2007 resulted in the collection of 27 specimens of Parapercis that appeared similar to populations of P. muronis from the northern hemisphere. Some individuals were initially identified as P. macrophthalma by G. Stroud in Gloerfelt-Tarp & Kailola (1984: 242–243, 351). The species was later provisionally identified as Parapercis sp. 4 (e.g. Johnson et al., 2014), pending detailed morphological and genetic comparisons with specimens of P. macrophthalma and P. muronis from south-east Asia. The status of P. macrophthalma was clarified by Ho & Johnson (2013), with the latter confirmed as distinct from P. muronis . Comparisons subsequently revealed that the Western Australian specimens were conspecific with P. muronis from Japan and the Philippines (fig. 1, Tables 1, 4–5).

Meristic and morphometric data for the two hemisphere populations of P. muronis are compared in Tables 4–5 and a genetic analysis is presented in fig. 1; Table 1. No significant differences in colouration were noted between the populations (fig. 7), proportional measurements ( Table 4), or meristic data ( Tables 4–5). Some minor morphometric variations between the populations were noted, with northern hemisphere populations having a slightly narrower body width (17.4–19.0% versus 18.8–22.2% SL) and shorter pelvic fins (20.0–23.1% SL versus 22.6–26.0% SL). However, these differences are possibly related to the condition and larger maximum size of some of the northern hemisphere specimens. The modal upper arch gill-raker count for northern hemisphere specimens is also slightly lower than for Australian specimens (5 versus 6), but this likely represents minor intraspecific variation.

Material examined: (40: 62.2–127 mm) Australia (27: 62.2–115 mm): AMS I.22807-038, 6: 68.0– 110 mm, North West Shelf, 175 km north of Port Hedland , WA, 18°32’S 118°17’E, 200–204 m, trawl, J. Paxton & M. McGrouther, 2 Apr 1982 ; CSIRO B.3865, 4: 62.2–106 mm, NW of Port Hedland , WA, 18°44.2’S 117°48.8’E to 18°45.8’S 117°48.4’E, 192–200 m, trawl, G. Leyland on FRV Soela, 16 Aug 1983 ; CSIRO CA. 3627, 103 mm, NW of Nickol Bay , WA, 19°15.1’S 116°39’E to 19°15.2’S 116°40.7’E, 172 m, trawl , CSIRO on FRV Soela , 25 Jan 1983 ; CSIRO CA.3628, 98.0 mm, same data as previous ; CSIRO CA. 4040, 103 mm, NE of Port Hedland , WA, 19°36.2’S 118°57.2’E to 19°36.9’S 118°56’E, 126–128 m, trawl , CSIRO on FRV Soela , 9 Oct 1983 ; CSIRO H.1036-13, 94.0 mm, north of Cape Lambert , WA, 19°06.1’S 117°07’E to 19°06.5’S 117°08.8’E, 183– 178 m, trawl , CSIRO on FRV Soela , 12 Oct 1987 ; CSIRO H.1036-14, 9: 77.0– 102 mm, same data as previous ; CSIRO H.1043-9, 93.3 mm, NW of Port Hedland , WA, 18°53.4’S 117°31.4’E to 18°54.5’S 117°32.8’E, 194– 174 m, trawl , CSIRO on FRV Soela , 13 Oct 1987 ; CSIRO H. 1505-12, 102 mm, north of Nickol Bay , WA, 19°07’S 117°06.2’E to 19°07.3’S 117°04.4’E, 177–184 m, trawl , CSIRO on FRV Soela , 5 Oct 1988 ; CSIRO H. 6570-35, 115 mm, NW of Cape Leveque, WA, 14°59.42’S 121°39.15’E to 15°00.62’S 121°39.75’E, 206– 187 m, trawl, A. Graham & J. Pogonoski on FRV Southern Surveyor , 26 Jun 2007 ; NMV A.29653-002, 81.6 mm, WSW of Barrow Island, WA, 20°58’52”S 114°43’25”E to 20°59’25”S 114°43’44”E, 210– 205 m, beam trawl, D. Bray on FRV Southern Surveyor , 10 June 2007 . Japan (11: 74.2–127 mm): BSKU 29197 , 91.2 mm, Mimase fish market , Kochi city (offshore trawl in Tosa Bay ), 13 Mar 1979; BSKU 29982 , 86.5 mm, Mimase fish market , Kochi city (offshore trawl in Tosa Bay ), 19 Jun 1980; BSKU 36390 , 127 mm, Mimase fish market , Kochi city (offshore trawl in Tosa Bay ), 6 Feb 1982; BSKU 36392 , 101 mm, Mimase fish market , Kochi city (offshore trawl in Tosa Bay ), 6 Feb 1982; BSKU 37293 , 123 mm, Mimase fish market , Kochi city (offshore trawl in Tosa Bay ), 27 Apr 1982 ; BSKU 42160 , 74.2 mm, Central Tosa Bay , otter trawl, 130 m, 26 Aug 1985 ; BSKU 42549 , 110 mm, Mimase fish market, Kochi city (offshore trawl in Tosa Bay ), 20 Apr 1984 ; BSKU 42550 , 108 mm, Mimase fish market, Kochi city (offshore trawl in Tosa Bay ), 27 Apr 1984 ; BSKU 43579 , 106 mm, Mimase fish market, Kochi city (offshore trawl in Tosa Bay ), 29 Oct 1986 ; BSKU 44178 , 80.6 mm, Tosa Bay , Japan, 33° 17.79’N 133° 42.17’E to 33° 17.25’N 133° 41.07’E, beam trawl 189-191 m, 28 Oct 1987 ; KAUM I. 59514, 102 mm, Tosa Bay , Kochi, 370 m, trawl, M. Matsunuma, 1 Mar 2014 . Philippines (2: 70.1–94.5 mm): KAUM I.56085, 94.5 mm, Off Iloilo, Panay Island , ca 10°41’N 122°35’E, M. Matsunuma & S. Tashiro, 25 Aug 2013 ; MNHN 1984-0623 , 70.1 mm, SW of Manila Bay, 14°00’N 120°19.02’E, 193 m, trawl, Musorstom 2, 20 Nov 1980 .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maximum clade credibility Bayesian tree of species of Parapercis and outgroup taxa. Clade support is indicated by posterior probabilities ± 0.95 above the branch and bootstrap values ± 70 representing a topologically identical best maximum likelihood tree are below the branch.New Australian records of P. muronis and P.rubromaculata are indicated with an asterix *. Scale represents average number of substitutions per site.

FIGURE7. Parapercismuronis. A.CSIROH.6570-35, 115 mm SL, NW ofCape Leveque, WA,Australia (Photo: CSIRO);B. NMV A.29653-002, 81.6 mm SL, WSW of Barrow Island, WA, Australia (Photo: D. Bray); C. KAUM I.59514, 101 mm SL, Tosa Bay, Kochi, Japan.(Photo: KAUM) D. KAUM I.56085, 94.5 mm, off Iloilo, Panay Island, Philippines (Photo:KAUM).

FIGURE 8. Collection localities for three new species and two new records of Parapercis, based on material examined (P. algrahami = red spheres, P. imamurai = black stars, P. pogonoskii = black spheres, P. rubromaculata = red stars, P. muronis = red squares (Map courtesy of CartoGIS Services, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University).