[Ichthyology • 2023] Coradion calendula • A New Butterflyfish (Teleostei: Chaetodontidae) from Australia

  

Coradion calendula Matsunuma, Motomura & Seah, 2023

Coradion chrysozonus Cuvier 

(ex. Kuhl & Van Hasselt) in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1831 

in Matsunuma, Matsumoto, Motomura, Seah & Jaafar, 2023. 

 oceansciencefoundation.org

Abstract 

The new butterflyfish, Coradion calendula, is described on the basis of 44 specimens collected off Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and north Queensland, Australia. The new species is most similar to Coradion chrysozonus, with which it shares IX dorsal-fin spines, a single ocellated spot on the soft-rayed portion of the dorsal-fin, and a single dark band on the frontal surface of the thorax. The new species is distinguished from C. chrysozonus by slightly higher ranges of dorsal-fin soft rays 28–32, mode 29 (vs. 27–30, mode 28) and anal-fin soft rays 20–22, mode 21 (vs. 18–21, mode 20); an orange band on the caudal peduncle in fresh specimens (lost after preservation) with a saddle-like blackish dorsal streak (vs. a broad brown -to-black circumpeduncular band in both fresh and preserved specimens); a sharply pointed pelvic fin with an almost straight posterior contour when spread (vs. a rounded pelvic fin with an expanded posterior contour); and a dark band on each interopercle joining on the ventral midline, with their anterior margins forming a sharply pointed “V” in ventral view (vs. separated by a relatively wide interspace). Despite well-defined morphological and coloration differences, the mtDNA difference between the two species was relatively low, 0.8–1.9% (mean 1.3%) and 2.9–7.5% (mean 4.8%) pairwise sequence difference in COI and control region genes, respectively. Morphological and colorpattern characters and mtDNA lineage were not concordant in some specimens from northern Australia, where the two species overlap, suggesting that the two species hybridize at their common biogeographic borders. 

Key words: taxonomy, ichthyology, morphology, coral-reef fishes, mtDNA, biogeography, western Pacific Ocean.

Underwater or aquarium photographs of Coradion chrysozonus (A–E) and Coradion calendula sp. nov. (F).
A: Wagmag Bay, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, by Lesley Clements, inaturalist.org; B: Bitung, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia, by Mark Rosenstein, modified from inaturalist.org; C, D: Great Barrier Reef, Australia, by Yi-Kai Tea; E: KAUM-I. 167700, 79.8 mm SL, Arthur Paches, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, by Fenton Walsh;
F: Exmouth, WA, Australia, by Kristin Anderson, inaturalist.org.

Coradion calendula, sp. nov. Matsunuma, Motomura & Seah 

Orange-tailed Coralfish

Diagnosis. A species of Coradion distinguished from all congeners by a combination of dorsal-fin rays IX, 28–32 (mode 29); anal-fin rays III, 20–22 (mode 21); a single ocellated spot on soft-rayed portion of dorsal fin; no ocellated spot on anal fin; band on caudal peduncle usually orange when fresh (obscured in preserved specimens) with a short, saddle-like, blackish dorsal streak; a sharply pointed pelvic fin with an almost straight posterior contour when spread (most obviously in large specimens >10 cm SL); and a dark band on each interopercle joining on ventral midline with anterior margins forming a sharply pointed “V” in ventral view.

Etymology. The specific name calendula is treated as a noun in apposition, being the generic name of plants in the daisy family Asteraceae (often known as marigolds), alluding to the characteristic orange band on the caudal peduncle of the new species.

 

Coradion calendula sp. nov. collected by bottom trawl off WA, Australia (specimens not retained). A: vicinity of Bigge Island, Kimberly; B: off Karratha, North West Shelf. ©Chris Dowling.

Photographs of fresh specimens of Coradion calendula sp. nov. (A–C) and C. chrysozonus (D–F).
 A: CSIRO H8224-20, holotype, 87.8 mm SL, Western Australia; B: CSIRO CA3049, paratype, 81.2 mm SL, Western Australia; C: NSMT-P 121516, paratype, 155.9 mm SL, Western Australia;
D: KAUM-I. 56030, 86.9 mm SL, Philippines; E: KAUM-I. 132465, 95.0 mm SL, Singapore; F: KAUM-I. 79809, 110.3 mm SL, Malaysia.

Photos by John Pogonoski (CSIRO) (A), CSIRO (B) and Far Seas Fisheries Research Laboratory, Japan (C).

 M. Matsunuma, T. Matsumoto, H. Motomura, Y.G. Seah and T.N.A.M. Jaafar. 2023. Coradion calendula, A New Butterflyfish from Australia (Teleostei: Chaetodontidae).  Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. 40, 1-285.oceansciencefoundation.org/josf40a.html

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7504828

[Ichthyology • 2020] Roa haraguchiae • A New Species of Butterflyfish (Perciformes: Chaetodontidae) from Japan and the Philippines

Roa haraguchiae 

Uejo, Senou & Motomura, 2020

 DOI: 10.1007/s10228-020-00735-9 

photo by A. Mishiku.

Abstract

A new butterflyfish, Roa haraguchiae, is described on the basis of eight specimens (63.2–92.8 mm standard length: SL) collected from Japan and the Philippines. The new species is most similar to Roa rumsfeldi Rocha, Pinheiro, Wandell, Rocha and Shepherd 2017, known only from the holotype from the Philippines. Both species are distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: long snout (12.6–14.1% of SL), lesser head depth (46.2–54.9%), short postorbital area (12.1–14.1%) and pectoral fin (27.9–32.4%), and second and third bands on the body without blackish edges. The new species is however easily distinguished from R. rumsfeldi (based on the original description and an additional Philippine specimen) in having 5–8 non-pored lateral-line scales (vs. 13 scales in the latter), 11 or 12 scale rows above the lateral line (vs. 8), 22–28 scale rows below the lateral line (vs. 19), 10–12 scale rows under the longer axis of a black blotch on the dorsal-fin soft-rayed portion (vs. 8), the anterior margin of the second body band not reaching anteroventrally to the pelvic-fin spine base, and the pelvic-fin spine and first soft ray white (vs. black).

Keywords: Taxonomy, Roa rumsfeldi, East China Sea, Morphology, Description

Underwater photographs of Roa haraguchiae sp. nov. from Japan.
KPM-NR 79633B, ca. 2.5 cm SL, 67 m depth (right side, reversed), Suruga Bay, Shizuoka

(photo by A. Mishiku - Specimen not collected).

Underwater photographs of Roa haraguchiae sp. nov. from Japan.
KAUM–II. 76, ca. 8.0 cm TL, 70 m depth, off Sakurajima, Kagoshima Bay, Kagoshima

(photo by S. Dewa - Specimen not collected). 

Roa haraguchiae sp. nov.

(New English name: White-spine Butterflyfish; 

new standard Japanese name: Panda-genrokudai)

Chaetodon modestus (not of Temminck and Schlegel 1844): Ida 2009: 389, unnumbered uppermost middle fig. (Izu Peninsula, Japan)

Roa sp.: Uejo and Motomura 2017: 169, unnumbered fig. (off Iloilo, Panay Island, Philippines)

Distribution: Currently known from off Iloilo, Panay Island, the Philippines, and the East China Sea, Japan (146–162 m depth).

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Mrs. Yuriko Haraguchi, who has kindly supported our ichthyological research and fish collection management at the Kagoshima University Museum as a volunteer over 15 years.

Takuya Uejo, Hiroshi Senou and Hiroyuki Motomura. 2020. Roa haraguchiae, A New Species of Butterflyfish (Teleostei: Perciformes: Chaetodontidae) from Japan and the Philippines. Ichthyological Research. DOI: 10.1007/s10228-020-00735-9

 twitter.com/SpringerJP_LS/status/1233315489465565184

[Ichthyology • 2019] Prognathodes geminus • A New Species of Butterflyfish (Teleostei, Chaetodontidae) from Palau

Prognathodes geminus

Copus, Pyle, Greene & Randall, 2019

 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.835.32562

Abstract

A new species of the butterflyfish genus Prognathodes (Chaetodontidae) is described from two specimens collected at a depth of 116 m off Ngemelis Island, Palau. Prognathodes geminus sp. n. is similar to P. basabei Pyle & Kosaki, 2016 from the Hawaiian archipelago, and P. guezei (Maugé & Bauchot, 1976) from the western Indian Ocean, but differs from these species in the number of soft dorsal-fin rays, size of head, body width, and body depth. There are also subtle differences in life color, and substantial differences in the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I sequence (d ≈ 0.08). Although genetic comparisons with P. guezei are unavailable, it is expected that the genetic divergence between P. guezei and P. geminus will be even greater than that between P. geminus and P. basabei. It is named for the strikingly similar color pattern it shares with P. basabei.

Keywords: Closed-circuit rebreather, Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem, Micronesia, systematic ichthyology

Figure 2. Paratype of Prognathodes geminus (USNM 440390), collected at a depth of 116 m at Palau. Photograph by RL Pyle.

Figure 1. Holotype of Prognathodes geminus (BPBM 40857), collected at a depth of 116 m at Palau. Photograph by RL Pyle. 

Prognathodes geminus sp. n.

Diagnosis: A species of Prognathodes (sensu Smith et al. 2003) distinguished by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin soft rays 17–19; anal-fin soft rays 15; head 2.48–2.49 in SL; body depth 1.71–1.76 in SL; pelvic-fin spine length 4.18–4.46 in SL; body color white with three broad dark brown bands, the first intersecting the eye.

Distribution: Prognathodes geminus is positively known only from Palau. However, individuals of what appear to be this species were collected by aquarium-fish collector Tim Bennett in the Coral Sea at a depth of 140 m (Fenton Walsh, pers. comm.), and video taken from a depth of about 120 m in New Caledonia (and reviewed by co-author Pyle) show what appears to be a similar fish. A similar species was recently described from the Hawaiian Islands (P. basabei), but numerous deep dives by the authors and others in regions between Palau and the Hawaiian Islands have not yielded any observations of this species, nor any other members of the genus Prognathodes.

Figure 3. Holotype of Prognathodes geminus in its natural habitat at a depth of 116 m off Ngemelis, Palau. Photograph by JL Earle.

Habitat: Type specimens and other individuals observed from submersible by Patrick L Colin (pers. comm.) in Palau were seen in association with limestone outcroppings on steep slopes at depths of 110–150 m. The type specimens were collected in an area with broken limestone rubble (Figure 3).

Etymology: We name this species geminus, Latin adjective for “twin”, in reference to its similarity in color to P. basabei from the Hawaiian Islands.

    

 Joshua M. Copus, Richard L. Pyle, Brian D. Greene and John E. Randall. 2019. Prognathodes geminus, A New Species of Butterflyfish (Teleostei, Chaetodontidae) from Palau. ZooKeys. 835: 125-137. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.835.32562

[Ichthyology • 2017] Roa rumsfeldi • A New Butterflyfish (Teleostei, Chaetodontidae) from Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems of the Philippines

Roa rumsfeldi 

  Rocha, Pinheiro, Wandell, Rocha & Shepherd, 2017

Figure 2. Live specimen of Roa rumsfeldi sp. n. photographed at the California Academy of Sciences’ Twilight Zone exhibit (photo LA Rocha).

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.709.20404 

Abstract

A new species of the butterflyfish genus Roa is herein described from the Verde Island Passage in the Philippines, West Pacific Ocean. Roa rumsfeldi sp. n. was found on mesophotic coral ecosystems at Puerto Galera and Batangas, and sampled through technical mixed-gas rebreather diving at 100–130 m depth. This represents the fifth known species of Roa. The main differences between Roa rumsfeldi sp. n. and its congeners are the lower number of pored scales in the lateral line, longer snout, longer caudal peduncle, shorter caudal fin, pelvic fin color (dark first spine vs. white in all other Roa), and genetics (8.4% divergence from its closest relative Roa modesta in the mitochondrial COI gene). Roa spp. are usually seen in pairs, but the two specimens we collected were solitary individuals. We have kept one of the specimens alive in the California Academy of Sciences’ Twilight Zone exhibit for more than one year, where it thrives and is feeding on a variety of dried and fresh food.

Keywords: Coral triangle, deep reefs, new species, rebreather diving, reef fish

Figure 1. Roa rumsfeldi sp. n., holotype shortly after death, 77.53 mm SL, PNM 15198 (photo LA Rocha).

Roa rumsfeldi sp. n. 

Deep-blackfin butterflyfish

Diagnosis: Roa rumsfeldi sp. n. differs from all of its congeners by the smaller number of pored scales in the lateral line pored scales (27 versus 37-46 in other Roa), longer snout (35.9% in HL vs. 28.2–35.5%), shorter first dorsal ray (12% in SL vs. 16.6–26.6%), longer caudal peduncle (8.5% in SL vs. 4.2–8.2%), shorter caudal fin (15.9% in SL vs. 19.8–25.9%), and a dark brown pelvic-fin spine (white in all other known Roa species).

Etymology: We name Roa rumsfeldi to honor Donald Rumsfeld who immortalized the quote: “there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” He said that when referring to the uncertainties of war, but we think it applies perfectly to the taxonomy of MCE species: We only realized this species was new after we took a good look at it here at the aquarium in San Francisco, so we think it’s a perfect example of an unknown unknown.

Distribution and habitat: Roa rumsfeldi sp. n. is only known to occur in the Verde Island Passage, central Philippines. It was found on MCEs of Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, and Bauan, Batangas, between 100 and 130 m depth. However, the species likely has a wider distribution and remains undetected because of its preferred depth range. The ecosystems where it was found vary from sheltered rocky outcroppings heavily covered by fine sediment to areas exposed to strong currents. The ambient seawater temperature varied between 19 and 21°C during our dives, which were conducted in April-May over several years. Azooxanthellate gorgonians, black corals, and solitary stony corals are the most abundant benthic invertebrates in this habitat.

 Luiz A. Rocha, Hudson T. Pinheiro, Matt Wandell, Claudia R. Rocha and Bart Shepherd. 2017. Roa rumsfeldi, A New Butterflyfish (Teleostei, Chaetodontidae) from Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems of the Philippines. ZooKeys. 709; 127-134.  DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.709.20404

[Ichthyology • 2016] Prognathodes basabei • A New Species of Butterflyfish (Perciformes, Chaetodontidae) from the Hawaiian Archipelago

Prognathodes basabei  

 Pyle & Kosaki, 2016

at a depth of approximately 55 m off Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. 

Photo by G. McFall.   DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.614.10200 

Abstract

A new species of the butterflyfish genus Prognathodes is described from specimens collected at a depth of 55–61 m off Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This species has been observed by mixed-gas divers and from submersibles at depths ranging from 45–187 m throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago, with shallower sightings in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and deeper in the Main Hawaiian Islands. It is similar to P. guezei (Maugé and Bauchot 1976) from the western Indian Ocean, and at least one other undescribed species of Prognathodes from Palau, differing from these species in the number of soft dorsal-fin rays, size of head, and body depth. There are also differences in the life color, and a substantial genetic difference from the Palauan species (d » .08 in mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I).

Keywords: Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem, Closed-Circuit Rebreather, Endemic, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Figure 1. Holotype of Prognathodes basabei (BPBM 41290), collected at a depth of 61 m off Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Photo by R. L. Pyle.   DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.614.10200

Prognathodes basabei Pyle & Kosaki, sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/A843AA98-2312-4E9E-B1EC-E28B5478085E

Prognathodes sp. 1; Allen et al. 1998: 250.

Prognathodes “basabei”; Randall 2007: 291.

Type locality: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, southwest side, “Prognathodes Point”, 27.7641°N, 175.9859°W.

Holotype: BPBM 41290, female, GenBank KX783257, Barcode of Life PROBA001-16, 93.4 mm SL, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, southwest side, “Prognathodes Point”, 27.7641°N, 175.9859°W, 61 m, 13 September 2015, R. L. Pyle, aboard NOAA ship Hi‘ialakai (Cruise: HA-15-05), hand nets, under limestone ledge (ancient seashore). Collected as part of a group of three associated individuals (along with CAS 242132 and USNM 440272).

Paratypes: BPBM 41285, 3 specimens: 97.7–106.3 mm SL, same location, habitat, collector, vessel and collecting method as holotype, 55 m, 17 August 2009, Cruise: HI-09-06; CAS 242132, GenBank KX783255, Barcode of Life PROBA003-16, 102.5 mm SL, same location, depth, habitat, collector, vessel, cruise and collecting method as holotype, 14 September 2015; USNM 440272, GenBank KX783256, Barcode of Life PROBA002-16, same data as holotype.

Non-type specimen: BPBM 38441, 82 mm SL, Hawaiian Islands, O‘ahu, south shore, 116 m, 31 May 1998, R. L. Pyle, hand nets, along limestone ledge (specimen died in captivity and partially deteriorated).

Diagnosis: A species of Prognathodes (sensu Smith et al. 2003) distinguished by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin soft rays 21 or 22; anal-fin soft rays 16 or 17; head 2.63–2.80 in SL; body depth 1.58–1.69 in SL; pelvic-fin spine length 3.63–4.07 in SL; color in life pale yellow dorsally fading to white ventrally (sometimes entirely white) with three black bands with narrow white margins on each side of the body, the first band originating at and including the first dorsal-fin spine, extending diagonally to the eye and continuing horizontally as an orangish brown stripe from the eye to the tip of the snout, the second band originating at and including the fourth to sixth dorsal-fin spines, extending vertically at a slightly posterior angle to the ventral surface of the abdomen just anterior to the anus, tapering slightly and curving slightly posteriorly below the pectoral fin, and the third band originating at and including the last four to five dorsal-fin spines and first four to five dorsal-fin soft rays, extending vertically at a slightly posterior angle to and including the first several anal-fin soft rays, a narrow orange band on the dorso-posterior margin of the operculum, extending ventrally the posterior angle of the operculum, an oblong orange spot with some dark pigmentation on the upper one-third of the pectoral-fin axis, pelvic fins white on the spine and anterior one-third of fin, and bright orange on the posterior two-thirds of fin, a bright orange submarginal band with narrow white posterior margin extending along the posterior margins of the soft portions of the dorsal and anal fins, and continuing across the caudal peduncle.

Figure 3. Prognathodes basabei at a depth of approximately 55 m off Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Photo by G. McFall.   DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.614.10200

Figure 5. A group of three Prognathodes basabei at a depth of 90 m off Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Photo by R. L. Pyle.
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.614.10200 

Distribution: Prognathodes basabei has been observed or collected at depths of 45–187 m at several locations throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago, including both the main Hawaiian Islands (Hawai‘I, O‘ahu, Penguin Banks) and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI; French Frigate Shoals, Lisianski, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Midway Atoll, Kure Atoll). No observations of this species were made during 61 submersible dives or eight mixed-gas rebreather dives to appropriate depths at Johnston Atoll (Randall et al. 1985; Wagner et al. 2014), nor has any similar fish been observed or collected anywhere in the central or eastern Pacific. Thus, it appears that P. basabei is endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago (although further exploration of MCEs in nearby regions may yet reveal its presence elsewhere). This is consistent with the observation that fish assemblages on deep coral reefs have proportionally more endemic species than on shallow reefs (Pyle 1996, Kane et al. 2014, Kosaki et al. 2016).

Habitat: Pyle and Chave (1994: 92) described the habitat for this species based on videotaped observations from submersibles as follows:

Eighteen (56%) of the observed [fish] were in areas of basalt substrata (e.g., basalt talus, blocky lava, lava tubes and pillows, basalt boulders), 13 (41 %) were in limestone habitats (primarily limestone holes and ledges), and one fish was sighted on a large (2-m diam.) water pipe. Four of the fish were in the vicinity of an unidentified antipatharian coral, three near Cirrhipathes spiralis (Linnaeus), and one near Antipathes dichotoma Pallas.

Subsequent observations of this species by divers and submersible dives, totaling several dozen individuals mostly off O‘ahu and various sites within the NWHI, were all found in association with limestone ledges and discontinuities representing ancient shorelines (Figures 3–5). In almost all cases, the fish were found underneath, inside of, or in close proximity to small undercut overhangs or caves, often swimming upside-down in association with the roof of the overhangs and caves. There are no obvious associations with other species, such as antipathinarian corals, other corals and sessile invertebrates, or particular fish species; although certain other fish species, such as than anthias Odontanthias fuscipinnis (Jenkins, 1901) and the wrasse Bodianus sanguineus (Jordan & Evermann, 1903), tend to occupy the same depth and habitat.

Etymology: We take great pleasure in naming this species basabei, in honor of Peter K. Basabe, long-time diver, aquarium fish collector and resident of Kona, Hawai‘i, both for his role in the collection of the first specimen of this new species in 1998, and more generally for his extensive contributions and assistance to many researchers (especially the authors) in the ichthyological community.

 Richard L. Pyle and Randall K. Kosaki. 2016. Prognathodes basabei, A New Species of Butterflyfish (Perciformes, Chaetodontidae) from the Hawaiian Archipelago.
ZooKeys. 614: 137-152. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.614.10200

Scientists discover a new deep-reef Butterflyfish species in Papahanaumokuakea Monument  phy.so/392380186 via @physorg_com