Grammatonotus brianne, Anderson, William D., Greene, Brian D. & Rocha, Luiz A., 2016

Anderson, William D., Greene, Brian D. & Rocha, Luiz A., 2016, Grammatonotus brianne, a new callanthiid fish from Philippine waters, with short accounts of two other Grammatonotus from the Coral Triangle, Zootaxa 4173 (3), pp. 289-295 : 290-293

Grammatonotus brianne , new species

Batangas Groppo

( Figure 1 ; Tables 1 , 2 )

Diagnosis. A species of Grammatonotus distinguishable from the other described species of the genus by the following combination of characters: caudal fin rhomboid shaped with mid-caudal rays produced, lateral-line usually disjunct (7 of 8 lateral lines disjunct, counts made on both sides of each specimen), anal-fin spines short (see Tables 1 & 2 ), and live coloration distinctive (see Fig. 1 and description of coloration below).

Description. Dorsal fin not incised at junction of spinous and soft portions. Dorsal-fin rays XI, 9. Anal-fin rays III, 9. Pectoral-fin rays 18 or 19. Pelvic-fin rays I, 5. Caudal fin rhomboid shaped with median rays produced. Principal caudal-fin rays 15 (8 + 7); branched caudal-fin rays 13 (7 + 6); procurrent caudal-fin rays 6 dorsally, 6 or 7 ventrally. Branchiostegal rays 6. Pseudobranch with ca. 10 to ca. 14 filaments. Gillrakers long and slender, 7 or 8 + 19 or 20, total number on first gill arch 26 to 28. Lateral line ascending abruptly from its origin near opercle to run just below dorsal-fin base; tubed lateral-line scales 15 to 17 (lateral line usually disjunct, with 2 scales near opercle separated from main part of lateral line); other tubed scales present in various places that are not in main part of lateral line. Midbody lateral scales 24 or 25. Rows of cheek scales 4 or 5. Scales between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line 1 or 2. Scales between anal-fin origin and lateral line (counted along a posterodorsal series) 8 or 9. Circum-caudal-peduncular scales 15 to 17. Morphometric data are presented in Tables 1 & 2 .

Vertebrae 24 (10 precaudal + 14 caudal). Parapophyses absent from first caudal vertebra. No spur on posteriormost ventral procurrent caudal-fin ray; penultimate ventral procurrent caudal-fin ray not shortened basally (see Johnson, 1975). Parhypural autogenous, with well-developed hypurapophysis; hypural 1 + hypural 2 present as a single unit, no evidence of ontogenetic fusion; hypural 3 + hypural 4 present as a single unit, no evidence of ontogenetic fusion; hypural 5 autogenous; epurals 3. Epineurals associated with first 11 to 13 vertebrae. One trisegmental pterygiophore associated with dorsal fin, and one with anal fin. Configuration of supraneural bones, anterior neural spines, and anterior dorsal pterygiophores difficult to depict in the conventional symbolization of Ahlstrom et al. (1976) because supraneural bones do not actually interdigitate with neural spines; the two supraneural bones oriented more or less obliquely with their proximal ends usually terminating anterior to or dorsal to distal end of anteriormost neural spine.

Body compressed, moderately deep. Mouth terminal and oblique; jaws almost equal. Maxilla reaching posteriorly to near middle of eye. Premaxilla protrusile. No supramaxilla. Interorbital convex. One opercular spine; distal margins of interopercle and subopercle smooth; margin of preopercle smooth to somewhat roughened.

Premaxilla with outer series of conical teeth and usually one to a few small canines or canine-like teeth at anterior end of jaw; inner band of villiform to small conical teeth, band expanded near symphysis; no teeth at symphysis. Dentary with series of conical teeth (a few well back on jaw enlarged into caninform teeth); patch of villiform to conical teeth next to symphysis; usually one to a few exserted canines at anterior end of jaw; no teeth at symphysis. Vomer with small conical teeth, arranged in a chevron-shaped patch, patch without posterior prolongation. Palatine with row or band of villiform to small conical teeth. No teeth on tongue or pterygoids.

Scales peripheral ctenoid ( Roberts, 1993:92); posterior field of a scale with primary and secondary cteni (i.e., no ctenial bases present in posterior field). Body with midlateral series of modified scales (see Anderson et al., 2015:74, fig. 2). Secondary squamation absent on scales. Most of head, including maxilla, dentary, dorsum of snout, and interorbital region with scales. Dorsal, anal, pectoral, and pelvic fins without (or nearly without) scales; pelvic axillary scales present; modified scales (interpelvic process) overlapping pelvic-fin bases along midventral line; scales extending well out onto caudal fin.

Coloration. Coloration based on digital photographs of two specimens (PNM 1 5196, formerly CAS 237785, 84.4 mm SL, the holotype [ Fig. 1 ], and CAS 237786, 77.7 mm SL, a paratype): Dorsally head and body rosy to red; ventrally head and area below base of pectoral fin pale yellow to silvery; mid-body pink to pale rose above dull yellow; ventrally body pale yellow to faint purplish. Iris of eye yellow centrally with dark red to rose peripherally (widest ventrally); short band of blue at dorsalmost part of iris. Dorsal fin yellow to yellow orange proximally, light to dark purple distally (distal ends of dorsal spines yellow); anal fin light purple; pectoral fin pale yellow; pelvic fin light purple. Caudal fin pale to bright yellow proximally, pale yellow distally. Numerous bright yellow spots superimposed on ground coloration of proximal part of dorsal fin and all or most of caudal fin.

Comparisons. Grammatonotus brianne n. sp. and G. crosnieri ( Fourmaoir, 1981) have been collected off Batangas Province, Luzon, in the Coral Triangle. Another Grammatonotus , G. ro s e u s ( Günther, 1880), is also known from the Coral Triangle; the types and only known specimens of that species are from the Banda Sea off the Kai Islands, Indonesia. Grammatonotus brianne n. sp. is most easily distinguished from those two species by the shape of the caudal fin— G. brianne n. sp. with a rhomboid shaped fin with mid-caudal rays produced, G. crosnieri with upper and lower lobes of caudal fin produced (examined specimens less than 70 mm SL with damaged caudal fins), and G. ro s e u s with a subtruncated fin ( Günther, 1880:45, plate XX, fig. D). In Table 2 , we present comparisons of selected measurements for the three species of Grammatonotus known from the Coral Triangle.

Distribution. This species is only known from specimens collected off Batangas Province, Luzon Island, Philippines.

Material examined. Four specimens (72.9–84.4 mm SL) caught off Batangas Province, Luzon Island , Philippines; Mabini Dive & Trek; 13°48.035’ N, 120°54.635’ E.; depth of ca. 150 meters; collected by Brian Greene, 21/22 May 2014.

Holotype. PNM 15196 (formerly CAS 237785), 84.4 mm SL.

Paratypes. CAS 237786, 77.7 mm SL; CAS 237787, 72.9 mm SL; USNM 432499 (formerly CAS 237788), 82.4 mm SL.

Etymology. The name brianne is for the second author’s wife ( Brianne M. Atwood) and is a noun in apposition to the generic name Grammatonotus .

Callanthias crosnieri Fourmanoir, 1981:91 , fig. 15 (original description; illustration; holotype MNHN 1978–79, 116 mm SL; type locality Philippines, off Batangas Province, southern Luzon Island, MUSORSTOM cruise Station 6, 14°01.2´N, 120°20.0’ E, 200 meters).

Grammatonotus crosnieri ( Fourmanoir, 1981) : Anderson, 2000: 2556 (species account, illustration).

Description. Dorsal-fin rays XI, 9. Anal-fin rays III, 9. Pectoral-fin rays 18 to 20 (usually 19). Pseudobranch with 11 to 17 filaments. Gillrakers 8 or 9 + 18 to 20, total 26 to 29. Tubed lateral-line scales 14 to 17. Midbody lateral scales 23 to 25. Circum-caudal peduncular scales 16. Scales between anal-fin origin and lateral line 8 or 9. Anal spines long (see Table 2 ). Caudal fin damaged in smaller specimens (<70 mm SL); in larger specimens, caudal fin with upper and lower lobes well produced. Selected morphometric data are presented in Table 2 .

Coloration. The following description is based on a color transparency provided by Pierre Fourmanoir of a 71–mm SL specimen of Grammatonotus crosnieri collected in the Philippines (see Fig. 2 ). Dorsum of head rosy, side of head ventral to orbit silvery, ventral midline of head rosy. Iris of eye mostly pallid with broad blue blotch above narrow rosy stripe at dorsal border, narrow rosy arch at ventral and posterorventral borders, and some yellow posteriorly. Bright rosy stripe (one or two scales high) ventral to dorsal fin and continuing on dorsal surface of caudal peduncle. Rest of body mostly pale yellow to rose with brownish rivulations, except for silvery area anterior and ventral to base of pectoral fin. Ventral half of spinous dorsal fin mostly yellow green with distal portions of dorsal spines and most of soft dorsal fin rosy. Pectoral fin mostly dull orange; pelvic and anal fins mostly rose. Middle of caudal fin mostly yellow; several of dorsalmost and ventralmost caudal fin rays rosy.

Distribution. Known from the Philippines (off Batangas Province, southern Luzon Island) in depths of 150 to 210 meters and reported from the west coast of the Malay Peninsula in 200 to 400 meters ( Fourmanoir, 1981:92).

Material examined. Nine specimens, 41.9 to 118 mm SL. PHILIPPINES, off Luzon Island (Batangas Province): MNHN 1978–79 (holotype: 116 mm SL) , MNHN 1978–80 (2 paratypes: 110–118), MUSORSTOM 2–Station 12 (4: 41.9–116), MUSORSTOM 2–Station 51 (2: 57.8–97.5).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Grammatonotus brianne n. sp. Batangas, southern Luzon, Philippine Islands; holotype, PNM 15196 (formerly CAS 237785), 84.4 mm SL. Photograph by Luiz A. Rocha.

FIGURE 2. Grammatonotus crosnieri. Philippine Islands, 71 mm SL. Photograph by Pierre Fourmanoir.

Tables

TABLE 1. Morphometric data for Grammatonotus brianne. Standard length in mm; other measurements in percentage of standard length.

n	Range		n	Range
Standard length 4	72.9–84.4	Depth of caudal peduncle	4	14.4–16.2
Depth at dorsal-fin origin 4	33.0–35.4	Mid-caudal fin rays	4	58.6–82.2
Predorsal length 4	30.6–33.5	Depressed anal-fin length	4	~39.2–42.2
Head length 4	29.5–32.1	First anal-spine length	4	2.8–3.4
Snout length 4	4.4–5.3	Second anal-spine length	4	5.3–7.3
Bony orbit diameter 4	9.7–11.1	Third anal-spine length	4	7.5–9.2
Interorbital width 4	7.0–7.7	Anal fin, base length	4	18.0–20.3
Postorbital length of head 4	12.4–14.2	Penult. dorsal-fin ray length	4	19.8–22.7
Upper jaw length 4	12.6–14.2	Last dorsal-fin ray length	4	~16.0–19.0
Pectoral-fin length 4	22.7–25.6	Penult. anal-fin ray length	4	18.2–21.5
Pelvic-fin length 3	26.7–28.6	Last anal-fin ray length	4	~13.7–18.0
Length of caudal peduncle 4	23.8–24.6

TABLE 2. Comparisons of morphometric data in three species of Grammatonotus. Standard length in mm; other measurements in percentage of standard length. NM = not measured. NP = not produced.

G. brianne	G. crosnieri	G. roseus
n Range	n Range	n Range
Standard length 4 72.9–84.4	9 41.9–118	5 49.2–64.6
Depth at dorsal-fin origin 4 33.0–35.4	9 30.5–39.2	5 35.4–37.2
Head length 4 29.5–32.1	9 28.5–33.9	5 33.0–35.6
Snout length 4 4.4–5.3	9 4.3–5.4	5 5.1–6.5
Bony-orbit diameter 4 9.7–11.1	9 11.0–14.9	5 13.2–14.6
Pectoral-fin length 4 22.7–25.6	9 22.0–28.9	5 25.0–26.1
Pelvic-fin length 3 26.7–28.6	8 27.2–41.1+	2 24.8+–25.3
Upper caudal-fin lobe NP -	7 38.2+–116.6+	NM -
Lower caudal-fin lobe NP -	7 31.5–107.7+	NM -
Mid-caudal-fin rays 4 58.6–82.2	NM -	NM -
Depressed anal-fin length 4 ~39.2–42.2	8 33.4–70.1	- -
First anal-spine length 4 2.8–3.4	9 6.2–10.3	3 4.5–6.5
Second anal-spine length 4 5.3–7.3	7 9.4–14.3	5 7.9–9.3
Third anal-spine length 4 7.5–9.2	9 11.1–15.3	4 9.6–11.4
Penultimate dorsal-fin ray length 4 19.8–22.7	7 16.7–19.6	- -
Ultimate dorsal-fin ray length 4 ~16.0–19.0	7 12.8–16.8	1 14.2
Grammatonotus crosnieri (Fourmanoir, 1981) Crosnier’s Groppo, Uncle Phoo’s Groppo (Figure 2; Table 2)