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| Microcanthus joyceae Whitley, 1931
in Tea & Gill, 2020
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Abstract
The taxonomy and classification of the microcanthid fish genus Microcanthus Swainson has been a subject of contention dating back to the 19th century. Its allopatric, disjunct anti-equatorial distribution across the Indo-West Pacific has resulted in the recognition of several nominal taxa, though these have been widely regarded as synonyms of Microcanthus strigatus (Cuvier). Following the results published in a companion study elsewhere by the authors, the taxonomy of Microcanthus and the validity of these nominal synonyms are herewith revised. Microcanthus strigatus is redescribed on the basis of 66 specimens from East Asia, Hawaii and Western Australia, and M. joyceae is resurrected and redescribed on the basis of 25 specimens from eastern Australia and the southwest Pacific. Microcanthus differs from other microcanthid genera in having the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays XI,15–17 (usually XI,16); anal-fin rays III,13–15 (usually III,14); pectoral-fin rays 15–17 (usually 16); scales ctenoid with ctenial bases present; lateral-line scales partially or heavily obscured by adjacent scales; and body pale in preservation with five horizontal dark stripes reaching the posterior edges of dorsal and anal fins, and base of caudal fin. The review is accompanied by a key to the genera of Microcanthidae.
Keywords: Pisces, taxonomy, ichthyology, cryptic species, anti-tropical, stripey
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| FIGURE 2. Genera of Microcanthidae. Tilodon and Neatypus are monotypic. A) Tilodon sexfasciatus, in situ photograph from Blairgowrie, Victoria, Australia; B) Neatypus obliquus, in situ photograph from Bunbury, Western Australia; C) Microcanthus joyceae, in situ photograph from Magic Point, Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia; and D) Atypichthys strigatus, in situ photograph from Henry Head, Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia.
Photographs by S. Schulz (A), C. Mark (B), and E. Schlogl (C & D).
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Microcanthus Swainson
Etymology. The generic epithet Microcanthus is a combination of the Greek “mikros” for small, and “akantha” for thorn, alluding to the minute crenulations on the preopercle (Swainson 1839).
Microcanthus strigatus (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1831)
Etymology. The specific epithet strigatus is the Latin for strigate, in having transverse bands or streaks of colour.
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| FIGURE 9. Microcanthus joyceae, in situ photograph from Shelly Beach, Manly, New South Wales, Australia. Note the anal-fin stripe without a downward inflection, and the lack of spots on the lower abdomen. Photograph by E. Schlogl. |
Microcanthus joyceae Whitley (1931)
Etymology. The species is named after Joyce K. Allan, who provided Whitley with illustrations of this species for his original description. To be treated as a noun in the genitive case. While Whitley did not provide a common name in his description, he alluded to its vernacular name, the “Stripey,” commonly used by locals in New South Wales, Australia. Since the use of this name is pervasive throughout the region, we choose to retain it in part as the common name, proposing the usage of “East-Australian Stripey” instead to distinguish M. joyceae from M. strigatus.
Yi-Kai Tea and Anthony C. Gill. 2020. Systematic Reappraisal of the Anti-equatorial Fish Genus Microcanthus Swainson (Teleostei: Microcanthidae), with Redescription and Resurrection of Microcanthus joyceae Whitley. Zootaxa. 4802(1); 41–60. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4802.1.3