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| Iniistius bakunawa Sorgon, Tea, Meren & Nañola, 2023 |
Abstract.
Iniistius bakunawa, new species, is described on the basis of nine specimens consisting of the holotype and six paratypes collected from fish markets in the islands of Panay, Cebu, Bohol, and Jolo in the Philippines, and two paratypes from the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. The new species is distinctive in having a pale yellowish to jade green body with a large concentric black and white ellipsoid ocellus on the posteriormost edge of its dorsal fin. Aside from live colouration details, the new species is readily diagnosed from congeners in having the following combination of characters: 7 horizontal rows of scales on cheek; gill rakers 4–6 + 8–11 = 12–17; gill rakers short, bearing teeth; and tubed lateral line scales 23–26. Assignment of the new species to the genus Iniistius is accompanied with a brief discussion of the currently inadequate diagnosis of the genus from Xyrichtys.
Key words. coral reefs, fish markets, Labridae, Novaculini, taxonomy, systematics
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| Iniistius bakunawa, new species, KAUM-I. 80684, paratype, 172.0 mm SL, Panay Island, Philippines. Freshly dead specimen showing colouration in life Photograph by H. Motomura |
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| Iniistius bakunawa, new species, A–C, freshly dead specimens showing colouration in life; and D–F, X-rays. A, USNM 435404, paratype, 162.4 mm SL, Cebu Island, Philippines; B, USNM 437745, paratype, 155.1 mm SL, Panay Island, Philippines; C, USNM 437747, paratype, 158.8 mm SL, Panay Island, Philippines; D, CSIRO H 1488-1, paratype, 129.8 mm SL, off northwest Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia; E, CSIRO H 1506-1, paratype, 144.5 mm SL, off northern Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia; F, KAUM-I. 80684, paratype, 172.0 mm SL, Panay Island, Philippines. Photographs by J.T. Williams. X-rays provided by K. Parkinson. |
Iniistius bakunawa, new species
Eclipse-spot Razor Wrasse
Iniistius sp. (Fukui, 2017): 184 (colour photograph of specimen from Panay Island, Philippines [reproduced here in Fig. 1A; KAUM-I. 80684]).
Diagnosis. A species of Iniistius distinct from all congeners based on the following combination of characters and live colouration details: 7 horizontal rows of scales on cheek; gill rakers 4–6 + 8–11 = 12–17; gill rakers short, bearing teeth; pored lateral line scales 19–20 + 4–6 = 23–26; 2 scales dorsoanteriorly on opercle; body yellowish to jade green; posteriormost dorsal fin with a large black centred white ellipsoid ocellus.
Etymology. The specific epithet is given after Bakunawa, a serpentine or draconic figure in Visayan mythology believed to be responsible for causing an eclipse by devouring the moon. The common name is given after the black centred white ellipsoidal ocellus on the posterior dorsal fin. The name bakunawa is treated as a noun in apposition.
Species of Iniistius are known by a variety of common names, including razor wrasse, cleaver wrasse, and razorfish. The first two names are sometimes used for other novaculin species in the genera Novaculops and Xyrichtys, whereas razorfish is sometimes used for Centriscus and Aeoliscus (Sygnathiformes; Centriscidae; also known as shrimpfish). To maintain consistent terminology with other members of the Novaculini and to avoid confusion with the Centriscidae, we recommend razor wrasse as the preferred common name when referring to species in the genus Iniistius.
Kent Elson S. Sorgon, Yi-Kai Tea, Jasmin C. Meren and Cleto L. Nañola Jr. 2023. Iniistius bakunawa, A New Species of Razor Wrasse (Teleostei: Labridae) from the Philippines and Western Australia. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 71; 511–519.
