Neobathyclupea malayana ( Weber, 1913 )

Prokofiev, Artem M., Gon, Ofer & Psomadakis, Peter N., 2016, A new species of Neobathyclupea from the northern Indian Ocean with comments on N. malayana (Teleostei, Perciformes, Bathyclupeidae), Zootaxa 4208 (5), pp. 474-484 : 481-482

Neobathyclupea malayana ( Weber, 1913)

( Figs. 2 B, 3B, 4B, 4C, 5, 6B)

Material examined. A total of 29 specimens: ZMA 112.443 , syntype ( Fig. 5 A), 198 mm, Flores Sea, 7°36' S, 117°30.8' E, 694 m, RV Siboga , sta. 314 (examined from photographs) ; ZMA 112.444 , syntype ( Fig. 5 B), 201 mm, Flores Sea, 7°19.4' S, 116°49.5' E, 538 m, RV Siboga , sta. 316 (examined from photographs) ; IOM 127, ca. 210 mm, 33°08'–33°07' S, 44°04'–44°03' E, 785- 760 m, from stomach of Pleuroscopus pseudodorsalis , RV Vityaz-II, sta. 2708; IOM uncat., 210 and 230 mm, 12°31'5–12°25'0 S, 48°05'6–48°08'0 E, 710– 700m, RV Vityaz-II, sta. 2601; IOM uncat., 205 and 230 mm, 33°03'3 S, 43°41'9 E, 870–930 m, RV Vityaz-II, sta. 2765; IOM uncat., 3: 190–222 mm, 33°01' S, 44°09' E, 720–750 m, FRV Fiolent cruise 11, trawl no. 16; ZMMGU 23440, 155 and 180 mm, south-western Indian Ocean , no other data ; ZMMGU 15856, 3: 165–185 mm, 08°39' S, 111°15' E, 560–600 m, FRV Professor Mesyatsev cruise 7, trawl no. 46; ZMMGU 15860, 3: 185–222 mm, 26°47' S, 33°14' E, 720 m, FRV Fiolent cruise 3, trawl no. 160; ZMMGU 15862, 190 mm, Madagascar Ridge, FRV Professor Mesyatsev cruise 5, trawl no. 70 ; ZMMGU 17058, 220 mm, Coral Sea , FRV Raduga, trawl no. 1 ; ZMMGU 23443, 5 : ca. 165– 190 mm, 09°01'2 S, 130°59'5 E, 540 m, FRV Akademik Berg , 26 May 1967 ; ZMMGU 23445, 4: 160–190 mm, 09°00' S, 130°39'8 E, 445–520 m, FRV Akademik Berg, 30 October 1968.

Note: The specimen IOM 127 is a partially digested fish formerly referred to N. elongata ( Parin et al. 1993; Gorelova et al. 1993; Prokofiev 2014a, b).

Diagnosis. A species of Neobathyclupea with head length 2.7–3.2 (usually 2.9–3.0) in SL, mouth cavity uniformly black, snout shorter than orbit ( Fig. 2 B), dorsal rayed pterygiophore pattern /1/1/1/1/1+1/1+1/1/ ( Fig. 6 B), 27–28 anal-fin rays, 14–16 gill-rakers on 1st arch, pseudobranch moderate (20–23 elements), and fins pale ( Figs. 3 B, 5).

Remarks. Counts and measurements are given in Table 1. The free margin of the preopercle was reported as smooth for this species ( Weber 1913; Prokofiev 2014a). However, re-examination of one of the largest available specimen (230-mm Vityaz-II sta. 2765) revealed the presence of distinct crenulations, some of which have denticlelike appearance along the middle of the ventral branch ( Fig. 4 B). One smaller specimen (197-mm, IOM, Fiolent cruise 11, trawl no. 16) has very indistinct crenulations at the same place. In all other fishes, including another 230- mm specimen (Vityaz-II sta. 2601), the ventral branch of the preopercle is entirely smooth ( Fig. 4 C). Pleural ribs are absent from the 10th vertebra, except in the 190-mm specimen (IOM, Fiolent cruise 11, trawl no. 16) with a minute pair of ribs. Under magnification, numerous minute grayish-brown melanophores more or less densely cover fin rays, somewhat more densely on the pectoral fin than in other fins, but are hardly visible to the naked eye. Without magnification all fins appear to be uniformly pale ( Fig. 3 B). In the other characters, the specimens we examined correspond well with published diagnoses ( Weber 1913; Prokofiev 2014a) and show no significant differences from N. melanoptera .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Heads of Neobathyclupea spp. showing snout / orbit relations: A, N. melanoptera, holotype, SAIAB 203556, 302 mm; B, N. malayana, IOM uncat. 230 mm, Uityaz-II sta. 2601. Scale bars: 10 mm.

FIGURE 3. Pectoral fin coloration: A, Neobathyclupea melanoptera, paratype, ZMMGU 23822, 258 mm; B, N. malayana, IOM uncat., 230 mm. Uityaz-II sta. 2601. Scale bars: 30 mm.

FIGURE 4. Preopercular morphology: A, Neobathyclupea melanoptera, paratype, ZMMGU 23822, 258 mm; B, N. malayana, IOM uncat., 230 mm, Uityaz-II sta. 2765; C, N. malayana, IOM uncat., 205 mm, Uityaz-II sta. 2765. Scale bars: 5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Syntypes of Neobathyclupea malayana: A, ZMA 112.443, syntype, 198 mm; B, ZMA 112.444, syntype, 201 mm. Scale bar: 30 mm. Photo courtesy of R. de Ruiter.

FIGURE 6. Rayed dorsal-fin pterygiophores and corresponding interneural spaces; arrows point to the 14 th interneural space: A, Neobathyclupea melanoptera, paratype, ZMMGU 23822; B, N. malayana, IOM uncat., 230 mm, Uityaz-II sta. 2765. Scale bars: 5 mm.