Cypselurus naresii naresii ( Günther, 1889 )

Shakhovskoy, Ilia B. & Parin, Nikolay V., 2024, A review of the flying fish genus Cypselurus (Beloniformes: Exocoetidae). Part 3. Revision of the subgenus Cypselurus sensu stricto with descriptions of one new species and four new subspecies and reinstatement of Cypselurus crockeri Seale and Exocoetus socotranus Steindachner, Zootaxa 5473 (1), pp. 1-125 : 60-61

Cypselurus naresii naresii ( Günther, 1889)

Synonymy and bibliography.

Exocoetus naresii Günther, 1889: 36–37 , pl. 1 fig. A (original description; between Fiji and New Hebrides). Günther 1910: 47 (short description; between Fiji and New Hebrides).

Cypsilurus naresi . Jordan & Seale 1906: 211 (listed; Fiji, New Hebrides).

Cypselurus naresii . Parin 1999: 2166, 2174 (distribution; in part: New South Wales and Fiji).

Material examined. Six specimens 68–212 mm SL.

Full morphological study. IORAS 04254 (1, 91.5 mm SL), 22°19’S 179°40’E, 3.03.2013 . AMS C.3493 (1, 120 mm SL), between Lord Howe I. and Cronulla, NSW, February 1962 .

Partial morphological study. IORAS 04231 (1, 68 mm SL), 18°12’S 177°16’E, 9.06.1970 . AMS I.27150.001* (1, 212 mm SL), 29°55’S 159°02’E, 10.12.1987 . AMS I.27154.006* (1, 203 mm SL), 29°58’S 159°03’E, 12.12.1987 . BMNH 1889.7.20.9* (holotype, 137.5 mm SL), between Fiji and Vanuatu .

Holotype. See description above.

Differential diagnosis. Cypselurus n. naresii ( Figs. 17 , 25 ) differs from the other four subspecies in the morphology and length of the chin barbel, which is very long ( Figs. 20 , 25 ) with two very wide lateral triangular lobes basally and a narrowed posterior part, usually having a paler pigmentation (much alike C. comatus , see below); also in slightly fewer number of predorsal scales (except C. n. socotranus , see Table 3).

Common names. The name “pharao flying fish” is most frequently used for C. naresii . The name “whipbarbel pharao flying fish” (Russian: “хлыстоусый стрижехвост-фараон”) is proposed here for the subspecies C. n. naresii .

Distribution. Cypselurus n. naresii has southernmost distribution ( Fig. 24 ) and is found from off southeastern Australia (AMS C.3493, between Lord Howe and Cronulla) to western Polynesia (IORAS 04254, 22°19’S 179°40’E).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Holotype of Cypselurus naresii, 137.5 mm SL, BMNH 1889.7.20.9, Fiji—Vanuatu (after Günther 1889).

FIGURE 24.Distribution of Cypselurus naresii (∆—C.n.naresii, —C.n. septentrionalis (our data), —C. n. septentrionalis (data of Imai 1959, Tsukahara 1959 and Chen 1987), ○—C. n. ordinarius, ◊—C. n. albitaenia, □—C. n. socotranus). Filled symbols indicate capture location for fishes ≤ 100 mm SL, open symbols indicate capture location for fishes> 100 mm SL; holotype position marked with asterisk.

FIGURE 25. Cypselurus naresii naresii. (A)—68 mm SL, IORAS 04231, 18°12’S 177°16’E; (B)—91.5 mm SL, IORAS 04254, 22°19’S 179°40’E; (C)—120 mm SL, AMS C.3493, between Lord Howe I. and Cronulla.

FIGURE20.Sizevariationofmorphometriccharacters(in%SL)inCypselurusnaresii:x—C.n.naresii;◊—C.n.septentrionalis; □—C. n. socotranus; Δ—C. n. ordinarius (lilac—western Pacific Ocean, red—eastern Indian Ocean, orange—Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea); ○—C. n. albitaenia (dark blue—Indian Ocean, light blue—Arabian Sea). (A)—preventral distance (aV); (B)—greatest body depth (H); (C)—pelvic-fin length (lV); (D)—length of chin barbel (Lcir).