Owstonia nalani, Smith-Vaniz, William F. & Johnson, David, 2016

Smith-Vaniz, William F. & Johnson, David, 2016, Hidden diversity in deep-water bandfishes: review of Owstonia with descriptions of twenty-one new species (Teleostei: Cepolidae: Owstoniinae), Zootaxa 4187 (1), pp. 1-103 : 70-71

Owstonia nalani new species

( Figure 59 )

Holotype. MNHN 2002−3362, 54 mm SL, New Caledonia, 21°13'58.8"S, 165°55'12"E, beam trawl in 490–530 m, Exped. BATHUS 1, sta. 657, 12 Mar. 1993.

Paratypes. MNHN 2013−0158 (2, 45– 49 mm SL), Vanuatu, Santo, NE Tutuba Island , 15°33'S, 167°19'19.3"E, 364–390 m, Exped. Santo 6, sta. at 58, 3 Oct. 2006.

Diagnosis. A species of Owstonia with LL pattern type 1; dorsal fin III, 22; anal fin II, 14; oblique body scale rows in mid-lateral series 25–26; cheek scale rows about 3; total gill rakers 30; precaudal vertebrae and pterygiophores anterior to 1st haemal spine 11 and 3 respectively.

Description. (When counts vary, those of the paratypes are given in parentheses.) A species of Owstonia with LL pattern type 1, consisting of a simple lateral line that originates from posttemporal sensory canal near anterodorsal margin of gill opening, curves upward and backward then continues posteriorly just below dorsal-fin base to at least soft ray 17 (left side smaller paratype only; scales immediately below posterior end of dorsal fin missing in all specimens). Dorsal fin III, 22; anal fin II, 14; pectoral fin 18/19 (19); gill rakers 11+19 (right side of holotype). Vertebrae: precaudal 11, caudal 18, total 29; anal-fin pterygiophores anterior to 1st haemal spine 3. Oblique body scale rows in mid-lateral series about 25–26 (smaller paratype only); nape scaly and cheek scale rows about 3. Lower limb margin of preopercle with about 6–9 weak spines that could easily be overlooked. Papillae in slight depression behind tip of premaxillary ascending processes 4 arranged in 2 almost equally spaced pairs; papillae difficult to clearly observe except in the larger paratype. Teeth in outer row of each premaxilla 20/24 (19–25); no inner teeth anteriorly. Teeth in lateral row of each dentary 16 (10–13); symphyseal teeth 4, spike-like (all other dentary teeth smaller with pointed tips), and with 0‒2 much smaller inner teeth anteriorly. Depressed pelvic fin extending to anal-fin origin. Caudal fin lanceolate. Holotype with Caudal fin 1.9 times in SL; head 3.7 times in SL; body depth at anal-fin origin 5.1 times in SL.

Color pattern in alcohol: Dorsal fin uniformly pale; membrane connecting maxilla and premaxilla with prominent black stripe extending to near anterior end of premaxilla, and inner membrane covering posterior part of dentary also black. Life coloration unknown.

Proportions of 54 mm SL holotype as percentages of SL: predorsal length 23.9; preanal length 50.4; dorsal-fin base 65.3; anal-fin base 32.8; pelvic-fin length 21.0; caudal-fin length 53.0; body depth at anal-fin origin 19.6; head length 27.0; upper jaw length 14.6; upper jaw depth 6.9; orbit diameter 13.4. As percentages of head length: upper jaw length 53.8; orbit diameter 49.7.

Comparisons. No other species of Owstonia has most of the above diagnostic characters of O. nalani . The eastern Australian Owstonia hastata is superficially similar but differs (characters of O. nalani in parentheses) in having more oblique body scale rows in mid-lateral series about 38 (vs. 25–26), total gill rakers 45‒46 (vs. 30), and more precaudal vertebrae and pterygiophores anterior to 1st haemal spine 13 and 5 respectively (vs. 11 and 3). Etymology. Named for Nalani Schell, MNHN curator of fishes, in appreciation for her outstanding assistance facilitating loans and examining type specimens of Owstonia in Paris.

Distribution. ( Fig. 26 ) New Caledonia and Vanuatu where trawled in 490–530 m and 364–390 m respectively.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Distributions of selected species of Owstonia based on specimens examined.

FIGURE 59. Owstonia nalani, holotype, MNHN 2002 ‒ 3362, 54 mm SL, New Caledonia. Photograph by Sandra J. Raredon.