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| Terelabrus toretore Shepherd, Pinheiro, Phelps, Siu & Rocha, 2023 |
A new labrid fish, Terelabrus toretore sp. nov., the fifth species within the genus, is herein described from two specimens collected at a depth of 140 m from a mesophotic coral ecosystem in Tahiti, French Polynesia. Terelabrus toretore sp. nov. is characterized by having 43–44 scaled rows in longitudinal series; 42 pored lateral-line scales; 5+10 gill rakers; 10 scale rows below the lateral line; 8 posterior branches on the main supratemporal sensory canal; a relatively long snout (snout length 9.6–9.7% SL), and a coloration consisting of a yellow caudal fin and a wide, red, mid-lateral stripe with no blotching, the space above which is white anteriorly, becoming predominantly yellow from beneath the dorsal fin to the caudal peduncle. In addition to describing this new species, we document the first record of Terelabrus rubrovittatus from the Republic of Marshall Islands, and the first record of Terelabrus zonalis from Australia, along with the first description of its coloration. We present a molecular phylogeny of the genus based upon mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA sequences.
Key words: Biogeography, Ichthyology, Mesophotic coral ecosystems, Taxonomy, Teleostei
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| Underwater photograph of Terelabrus toretore (specimen not collected): Tahiti at 125 m depth, photo by L.A. Rocha |
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| Terelabrus toretore sp. nov. Underwater photograph (specimen not collected): Tahiti at 125 m depth; Coloration of freshly dead paratype CASICH 247319 (SL 44.3 mm). |
Terelabrus toretore Shepherd, Pinheiro, Phelps,
Siu and Rocha sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Terelabrus toretore sp. nov. can be
distinguished from the other four members of the genus
by the following characters: 43–44 scaled rows in
longitudinal series; 42 pored lateral-line scales; 5 + 10
gill rakers; 10 scale rows below lateral line; a relatively
long snout (snout length 9.6–9.7% SL); 8 posterior
branches on the main supratemporal sensory canal, and
a coloration consisting of a yellow caudal fin, and a
wide, red, mid-lateral stripe with no blotching, the space
above which is white anteriorly, becoming yellow from
beneath the dorsal fin to the caudal peduncle.
Etymology: The species name, toretore, is the Tahitian word for striped and is used in reference to the body color pattern. To be used as a noun in apposition.
Bart Shepherd, Hudson T. Pinheiro, Tyler A. Y. Phelps, Gilles Siu and Luiz A. Rocha. 2023. Terelabrus toretore sp. nov. (Perciformes: Labridae), A New Species of Striped Hogfish from Tahiti, with Range Extensions for Two Congeners. Zool Stud. 62:08. DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2023.62-08.
