Aseraggodes magnoculus, Randall, 2005

Randall, John E., 2005, A review of soles of the genus Aseraggodes from the South Pacific, with descriptions of seven new species and a diagnosis of Synclidopus., Memoirs of Museum Victoria 62 (2), pp. 191-212 : 203-204

Aseraggodes magnoculus sp. nov.

Figure 10 , Tables 1–3, 8

Holotype. ROM 64830 , 39.8 mm, New Caledonia, Isle Ua, E side, 22°42'40''S, 166°48'50''E, steep slope of fringing reef, with coral rock, rubble, and sand at base, 9–18 m, rotenone, R. Winterbottom and P. Tirard, 13 Sep 1991.

Paratypes. ROM 76686 , 29.2 mm, New Caledonia, just inside barrier reef (Recif Mbere) NW of Dumbéa Pass , 22°20'30''S, 166°14'5''E, large Porites coral head surrounded by sand, 3–6.5 m, rotenone , R. Winterbottom, G. Klassen and P. Tirard, 11 Sep l991 ; BPBM 39691 , 31.3 mm, same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Dorsal rays 67–72; anal rays 51–53; dorsal rays branched except anterior 16–24 rays; anal rays branched; lateral-line scales 71–76, including 7–8 anterior to a vertical at upper end of gill opening; vertebrae 36; dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 10; body depth 2.45–2.5 in SL; HL 4.15–4.3 in SL; eye diameter 3.95–4.2 in HL; upper eye overlapping about anterior one-third to one-half of lower eye; interorbital space narrow, the vertical distance separating eyes about one-third to one-sixth eye diameter; no caudal peduncle; very fine cirri on ventral edge of head; lateral line aligned with ventral edge of upper eye; longest dorsal ray 1.4–1.45 in HL; caudal fin rounded, its length 3.9–3.95 in SL; pelvic fins 1.8–2.0 in HL, the tip of longest ray reaching base of second or third anal ray; colour of ocular side in alcohol light yellowish brown with 3 rows of dark brown blotches, one row below base of dorsal fin, one above base of anal and pelvic fins, and one with two largest blotches well-spaced on lateral line; other brown markings mainly vertically elongate, some enclosing small irregular areas of ground colour; fins pale yellowish except for faint dark blotches along base.

Description. Dorsal rays 72 (67–70); anal rays 53 (51–52); dorsal rays branched except first 16 (first 23–24 of paratypes); anal rays branched; caudal rays 18, the middle 16 branched, but not double-branched; pelvic rays 5, branched; rays of fins slender, the branches not broadly separated; lateral-line scales 71 (72–76), including 7–8 anterior to a vertical at upper end of gill opening; scales above lateral line on ocular side to dorsal-fin base 21–22; scales below lateral line to anal-fin base 23–24; vertebrae 36; erisma (counted as the first dorsal pterygiophore) about twice as thick as remaining pterygiophores, its inner half narrowly branched; next pterygiophore before tip of second neural spine; space between second and third neural spines with 5 pterygiophores; space between third and fourth neural spines with 3 pterygiophores (total of 10 dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine); ventroanterior margin of urohyal strongly curved, the two limbs, if projected, forming an angle of about 60°.

Body depth 2.45 (2.5) in SL; body width (thickness) 5.2 (5.1–5.3) in body depth; ventral profile of head posterior to mouth very slightly convex; HL 4.3 (4.15) in SL; snout length 2.6 in HL; eyes large, 4.2 (3.95–4.15) in HL; interorbital space very narrow, the least vertical interorbital width 23.2 (12.7–24.0) in HL; upper eye overlapping anterior one-fourth to one-third of lower eye; upper end of gill opening on a horizontal passing slightly ventral to lower eye; no caudal peduncle (base of last anal ray posterior to base of lowermost caudal ray); depth of body at base of caudal fin 1.7 (1.7–1.8) in HL.

Snout slightly overhanging lower jaw; maxilla nearly reaching to below center of eye, the upper jaw length (blind side) 3.1 (3.2–3.25) in HL; blind side of upper and lower jaws with a dense band of villiform teeth, obscured laterally because of a labial fold; no teeth on ocular side of jaws; tapering tubular anterior nostril of ocular side membranous, before upper edge of eye just above upper lip, nearly reaching anterior edge of pupil when laid back, its length equal to eye diameter; posterior nostril a slit in labial groove in front of lower eye; anterior nostril of blind side a slender tube only about twice as long as surrounding papillae, just above middle of upper lip; posterior nostril of blind side an opening covered by a triangular papilla-like structure, dorsoposterior to anterior nostril; internarial distance nearly equal to eye diameter.

Scales ctenoid on both sides (except partially embedded scales of lateral line); scales of ocular side of body with up to 10 cteni; only 1 or 2 rows of scales in interorbital space, with about another 5 rows extending onto medial and anterior part of each eye; scales on ocular side of head smaller anteriorly, replaced on snout by longitudinal rows of small fleshy papillae; scales on blind side of head anterior to a transverse demarcation just posterior to end of jaws replaced by a dense zone of fleshy papillae, largest above posterior half of upper lip; only fine cirri at front edge of snout and along ventral part of head. Lateral line straight midlaterally on both sides, projecting on ocular side toward middle of upper eye; lateral line of blind side altering to a row of sensory papillae on head (separated from surrounding papillae by a narrow papilla-free zone on ventral side that curves on head to tip of snout; supratemporal branch of lateral line on blind side of head clearly visible as a similar row of low sensory papillae just below basal sheath of scales on dorsal fin, less obvious on body posterior to head.

Dorsal and anal rays each with a lengthwise thin membranous ridge, narrowing distally, less developed posteriorly; membranous ridges without cirri; small scales basally on ocular side of dorsal fin before about 15th ray, progressively fewer scales approaching 15th ray; anterior part of dorsal fin on blind side with small papillae, progressively fewer posteriorly, and absent after about the 24th ray.

Origin of dorsal fin anterior to upper eye, the predorsal length 3.7 (3.9–3.95) in HL; first dorsal ray (tip not free; tips of next few rays visible) 3.8 (3.7–3.95) in HL; longest dorsal ray 1.45 (1.4) in HL; origin of anal fin below base of seventeeth dorsal ray, slightly posterior to end of opercular membrane, the preanal length 3.75 (3.65–3.7) in SL; length of first anal ray 3.75 (3.65) in HL; longest anal ray 1.45 (1.45–1.5) in HL; caudal fin rounded, 3.95 (3.9) in SL; pelvic fins adjacent on ventral edge of body, third and fourth pelvic rays longest, reaching to base of third anal rays, 1.8 (1.9) in HL; anus anterior to first anal ray; genital papilla short, dorsoposterior to anus, and not connected by membrane to ocular-side pelvic fin.

Colour of holotype in alcohol: ocular side light yellowish brown with 3 rows of dark brown blotches, one below base of dorsal fin, one above base of anal and pelvic fins, and one midlateral, the two largest blotches well-spaced on lateral line; other lighter brown markings irregular, mainly transversely elongate, some enclosing small areas of lighter ground colour; fins pale yellowish except for faint dark blotches along base; blind side uniform pale yellowish.

Etymology. This species is named magnoculus from the Latin magnus for large and oculus for eye, in reference to its having the largest eyes, relative to the head length, of any species of the genus examined.

Remarks. Aseraggodes magnoculus is described from three small specimens collected in two stations from sand and rubble in coral-reef areas of New Caledonia within the depth range of 3– 18 m. No gonad was detected in the largest specimen, so it may be immature. Aseraggodes auroculus , described above, appears to be the most similar species to A. magnoculus . The two share the same body depth, large eyes, and number of vertebrae, dorsal pterygiophores anterior to the fourth neural spine, dorsal rays, and lateral-line scales. A. auroculus differs in having a higher count of anal rays (56 or 57, compared to 51–53 for magnoculus ), a larger head (hence the eye size relative to the head is smaller than that of magnoculus ), and in having shorter fins.

Figures

Figure 10. Holotype of Aseraggodes magnoculus, ROM 64830, 39.8 mm, New Caledonia.