Pempheris flavicycla Randall, Bogorodsky, Alpermann, Satapoomin, Mooi & Mal 2013
Pempheris flavicycla flavicycla Randall, Bogorodsky, Alpermann, Satapoomin, Mooi & Mal 2013
Pempheris flavicycla marisrubri Randall, Bogorodsky, Alpermann, Satapoomin, Mooi & Mal 2013
Abstract
Pempheris flavicycla is described as a new species of sweeper (Perciformes: Pempheridae) from the Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea. It has a bright yellow ring around the pupil of the eye, a black outer border on the anal and caudal fins, a black spot at the base of the pectoral fins, 38–44 anal soft rays, 54–61 lateral-line scales, and 29–33 gill rakers. It is found in clear-water, coral-reef areas not exposed to heavy seas, and usually in less than 15 m.
Two subspecies are recognized: Pempheris flavicycla flavicycla from Oman, Tanzania (type locality Mafia Island), Kenya (Wasini Island), Seychelles, Republic of Maldives, Lakshadweep, Sri Lanka, and islands of the Andaman Sea; and Pempheris flavicycla marisrubri from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Tadjoura off Djibouti. The Red Sea subspecies differs in having a larger eye, longer pectoral fins, more ctenoid scales, the posterior nostril largest, and modally one fewer pectoral-fin rays.
Both subspecies have usually been misidentified as Pempheris vanicolensis Cuvier in C. & V. (type locality, Vanikoro Island, Santa Cruz Islands), which differs in having a brownish green iris, no black spot at the base of the pectoral fins, 63–68 lateral-line scales, and 26–29 gill rakers. The range of P. vanicolensis is extended west to Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat Islands, Bali, Sumatra, and the island of Phuket, Thailand in the Andaman Sea.
Key words: taxonomy, Pempheridae, Red Sea, sweeper, new species, subspecies, coral reef fishes, biogeography
Randall, J.E., Bogorodsky, S.V., Alpermann, T.J., Satapoomin, U., Mooi, R.D. & Mal, A.O. 2013. Pempheris flavicycla, a new pempherid fish from the Indian Ocean, previously identified as P. vanicolensis Cuvier. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. Vol. 9. 1-23. http://www.oceansciencefoundation.org/josf/josf9a.pdf
