Sunday, April 10, 2016

[Ichthyology • 2016] Lutjanus sapphirolineatus • Validity of A Blue Stripe Snapper, Lutjanus octolineatus (Cuvier 1828) and A Related Species, L. bengalensis (Bloch 1790) with A New Species (Pisces; Lutjanidae) from the Arabian Sea


Lutjanus sapphirolineatus 
Iwatsuki, Al-Mamry & Heemstra, 2016
 
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4098.3.5

Abstract

Lutjanus octolineatus (Cuvier 1828), previously considered a junior synonym of Lutjanus bengalensis (Bloch 1790), is shown to be a valid species and lectotypes are designated. Both species are redescribed. The two species have overlapping distributions in the Indian Ocean, but are clearly separable by different dorsal-fin spine counts, blue-striped pattern on the body and the presence or absence of a subocular extension of cheek scales. Lutjanus octovittata (Valenciennes 1830), formerly assigned to synonymy of L. bengalensis, is considered a junior synonym of L. octolineatus based on examination of the holotype. Lutjanus sapphirolineatus n. sp., a species formerly misidentified as L. bengalensis, is described based on 10 specimens from Oman and Somalia. The new species differs from the three species above by a combination of different characters. Analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1, 603 bp) genetic marker, also strongly supports the validity of each species of the blue-striped snapper complex as distinct.

Keywords: Pisces, Lutjanus octolineatusLbengalensis, validity, Lsapphirolineatus n. sp., taxonomy, blue-striped snapper complex, Indian Ocean


Lutjanus bengalensis (Bloch 1790) 



Yukio Iwatsuki, Juma M. Al-Mamry and Phillip C. Heemstra. 2016. Validity of A Blue Stripe Snapper, Lutjanus octolineatus (Cuvier 1828) and A Related Species, L. bengalensis (Bloch 1790) with A New Species (Pisces; Lutjanidae) from the Arabian Sea. Zootaxa. 4098(3)