Aseraggodes ramsaii ( Ogilby, 1889 )

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 : 209-210

Aseraggodes ramsaii ( Ogilby, 1889)

Figure 15 , Tables 1–3

Solea ramsaii Ogilby, 1889: 70 , pl. 3 fig. 4.

Aseraggodes haackeanus ramsaii — Munro, 1957: 73. Aseraggodes haackeanus . — Hoese in Allen et al., 1976: 437. Aseraggodes ramsaii .— Randall and Meléndez, 1987: 105.

Material examined. Lord Howe Island: AMS I.1951, 57 mm, holotype of Solea ramsaii ; AMS I.5387, 63.5 mm; BPBM 34265 , 41.7 mm. New Caledonia: lagoon near SE end of St Vincent Pass (22°2'6''S, 165°57'48''E) .

Type locality. Lord Howe Island .

Diagnosis. Dorsal rays 69–72, branched except first 14–22 rays; anal rays 47–50, all but branched; caudal rays 18 (uppermost and lowermost two rays simple, middle 12–14 double-branched); pelvic rays 5; lateral-line scales on ocular side 86–88, including 12 anterior to a vertical at upper end of gill opening; scales with 10–14 cteni; scales progressively shorter anteriorly on head and with fewer cteni; 2 rows of scales in narrowest interorbital space, with small scales in 4 or 5 rows extending onto median and anterior edges of eyes; broad lappet–like cirri on ventral margin of head; vertebrae 36; dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 13–14 (14 in holotype); body depth 2.4–2.6 in SL; HL 4.45–4.5 in SL; upper lip slightly overhanging lower lip when mouth closed; eye diameter 4.05–4.65 in HL; posterior edge of upper eye over middle of lower eye; interorbital space narrow, the least vertical distance separating eyes 12.3–13.3 in HL; lateral line angling upward anteriorly, directed toward dorsal edge of upper eye; ventral edge of lower eye about one-half eye diameter above upper end of gill opening; caudal peduncle present, its length 8.1–10.8 in HL; longest dorsal ray 1.65–1.7 in HL; caudal fin rounded, 3.85–3.95 in SL; ocular-side pelvic fin on ventral edge of body and slightly anterior to fin of blind side, the second or third ray longest, 2.3–2.35 in HL, the tip reaching to base of second or third anal rays; small scales extending nearly to dorsal-fin margin anteriorly on both sides, the scale coverage gradually reduced to fifteenth to 20th ray, and absent posteriorly; a thin membranous lengthwise ridge basally on dorsal and anal rays, disappearing posteriorly; a dark brown cirrus occasional on membranous ridges of dorsal rays on ocular side. Colour of holotype in alcohol “pale yellow with many small black spots and short wavy lines on head and body, which on the lateral line take the form of streaks extending from two to five scales” ( Ogilby, 1889). Largest of 3 specimens examined, 63.5 mm SL.

Remarks. Munro (1957) regarded Aseraggodes ramsaii as a subspecies of A. haackeanus (Steindachner) . He was followed by Hoese in Allen et al. (1976), who reported two specimens from Lord Howe Island collected from sand outside the lagoon in 5–25 m (specimens not found). Randall and Meléndez (1987) showed that A. ramsaii and A. haackeanus are readily separated by counts of dorsal rays, anal rays, and lateral-line scales. There is also a consistent difference in the number of dorsal pterygiophores before the fourth neural spine, 14–15 for ramsaii and 7–9 for A. haackeanus .

Aseraggodes ramsaii is otherwise known from the holotype in the Australian Museum, one other AMS specimen from Lord Howe Island, and one reported here from New Caledonia collected by Michel Kulbicki and the author in 2– 4 m. The New Caledonia specimen was first believed to be Aseraggodes holcomi Randall , described from five specimens from the Hawaiian Islands. It was reidentified as A. ramsaii after comparison with the Lord Howe Island specimens. The two species are very similar, differing in A. holcomi having a broader interorbital space (6.8–10.9 in HL, compared to 12.2–13.2 for ramsaii ), longer pelvic fins (1.85–2.1 in HL, compared to 2.3–2.35 for ramsaii ), and a higher average count of lateral-line scales (87–96, compared to 86–88 for ramsaii ).

Figures

Figure 15. Aseraggodes ramsaii, BPBM 34265, 41.7 mm, New Caledonia.