Pseudocaranx wrighti Whitley, 1931

Smith-Vaniz, William F. & Jelks, Howard L., 2006, Australian trevallies of the genus Pseudocaranx (Teleostei: Carangidae), with description of a new species from Western Australia, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63 (1), pp. 97-106 : 103

Pseudocaranx wrighti Whitley, 1931

Figures 1A , 3D , 4 ; Tables 1–3

Usacaranx georgianus wrighti Whitley, 1931: 317 (orig. descr. 40 mi. west of Kingston , South Australia; Holotype AMS I.10336).

Pseudocaranx wrighti . May and Maxwell, 1986: 301, unnumb. photo. (descr.; common name; distrib.); Paxton et al., 1989: 582 (synonymy; distrib.); Kuiter, 1993: 176, unnumb. color photos (descr.; distrib.); Gomon et al., 1994: 585, unnumb. color photo. (descr.; distrib.); Hutchins, 1997: 247 (listed; Houtman Abrolhos); Hutchins, 2001b: 33 (listed).

Material examined. 125 specimens, 46–196 mm FL. CSIRO C.2751 (119), Exmouth Gulf; ANSP 134668 (4, 105–143), ANSP 135418 (8, 141–169), WAM P.14007-18 (11, 100–135), WAM P.14019-26 (8, 110– 144), WAM P.14043-53 (11, 119–150), WAM P.14055 (112), Rottnest I. vicinity; ANSP 153537 (6, 150–176), ANSP 182762 (4, 172–196), Perth vicinity; WAM P.27679 (182), Swan-Avon R.; AMS I.10336 (122.5, holotype of Usacaranx georgianus wrighti ), W of Kingston, 36˚50'S, 139˚20'E; AMNH 37652 (2, 169–181), Cockburn Sound , Fremantle ; ANSP 148691 (30 of 61, 46–159), Sepia Depression off Garden I., 32˚08'S, 115˚37'E; SAMA 196 (2, 116–139), Doubtful I. Bay; ANSP 145073 (186), Coffin Bay ; SAMA 3110 (2, 120–122), SAMA 3147 (144), off Port Lincoln ; SAMA 4777 (145) Adelaide outer harbour; SAMA 3930 (17, 97–125), St. Vincent Gulf; AMS I.20194- 032 (9, 92–123), Investigator Strait; SAMA 3620 (164), Kangaroo I.; AMS I.10397 (125), Flinders I., 33˚45'S, 134˚30'E; TMH D.535 (2, 94–103), Flinders I., 39˚50'S, 148˚00'E .

Diagnosis. A species of Pseudocaranx with posterior margin of upper jaw canted posteroventrally (fig. 1A); lachrymal and expanded part of maxilla densely covered with scales; caudal vertebra 14; gill rakers 10–15 upper, 24–28 lower, 35–43 total; scales in curved part of lateral line 37–48.

Distribution. Endemic to Australia (fig. 4); eastern Bass Strait extending W at least to Rottnest I., WA. A single collection of P. wrighti from Exmouth Gulf (see material examined) at approximately 22˚S extends its distribution well into that of P. dinjerra , if the record is not due to a specimen mix-up.

Remarks. This species differs from other Australian congeners as indicated in the identification key and Table 3. It also differs in having a well defined opercular spot that is nearly solid black and approximately the diameter of the pupil (fig. 3D), in never developing a yellow mid-lateral body stripe, and second dorsal and anal fins transparent or dusky green, never with yellow pigmentation. Pseudocaranx wrighti is the smallest species of Pseudocaranx , rarely exceeding 200 mm FL.

Figures

Figure 1. Head profiles and upper jaw shapes of Pseudocaranx: A, P. wrighti, ANSP 135418, 169 mm FL, Cockburn Sound, WA; B, P. georgianus, ANSP 138196, 200 mm FL, Cape Arid, WA.

Figure 3. Heads of Pseudocaranx species: A, P. dinjerra, ANSP 148695, 230 mm FL, Cape Farquhar, WA; B, P. georgianus, USNM 385513, 275 mm FL, Sydney Fish Market; C, P. “dentex”, CAS 16472, 404 mm FL, One Tree I.; D, P. wrighti, WAM P.14007-18, 124 mm FL, Rottnest I.

Figure 4. Australian distributions of Pseudocaranx species based on material examined.