Pseudochromis nigrovittatus Boulenger

Gill, Anthony C. & Zajonz, Uwe, 2011, Pseudochromine and pseudoplesiopine dottyback fishes from the Socotra Archipelago, Indian Ocean, with descriptions of two new species of Pseudochromis Rüppell (Perciformes: Pseudochromidae), Zootaxa 3106, pp. 1-23 : 13

Pseudochromis nigrovittatus Boulenger

Black-striped Dottyback Figure 8

Pseudochromis nigrovittatus Boulenger, 1897: 421 (Mekran Coast, Persia); Gill, 2004: 150, fig. 47, pls 10C–D (description, synonymy, distribution, colour photos).

Pseudochromis nigrovittatus is relatively widely distributed throughout the northwestern Indian Ocean, from the Makran Coast and Persian Gulf around the Arabian Peninsula to the southern Red Sea and south to Socotra. However, records from the southern Red Sea and Socotra reported by Gill (2004) were based on photographs and sightings by J.M. Kemp. Two specimens were subsequently collected in the Socotra Archipelago by the second author, but voucher specimens are still lacking for the southern Red Sea. The species was visually also recorded from twenty-one additional sites in 1999-2000, including one record from Darsa Island and two from Abd al-Kuri Island. The species thus appears to occur throughout the entire Archipelago being, however, much more abundant on Socotra Island than elsewhere. It inhabits equally frequently mixed communities of macroalgae and hard corals and sparse hard coral communities on rock platform, including the south and west coast, as well as hard coral communities including those dominated by Acropora , Porites , Galaxea , and encrusting and massive Agariciidae , Pectiniidae , and Mussidae . Pseudochromis nigrovittatus is the second most frequently recorded dottyback species on Socotra Archipelago and was recorded from a depth range of 4– 20 m. Recent records of 2009-2011 (H. Pulch, T. Alpermann, U. Zajonz) support these observations. Its ecological niche appears to be wider than that of P. leucorhynchus and P. linda , both of which also occur across the island group and inhabit similar depth ranges.

The two voucher specimens agree well in most details with the description provided by Gill (2004). However, they do extend slightly the minimum to maximum ranges for several meristic characters: scales between lateral lines 4–6 (previously 4–5); circumpeduncular scales 19–21 (previously 20–21); and upper gill rakers 3–5 (previously 4–5).

Material examined. SMF 29206, 1: 35.7 mm SL, Socotra Archipelago, N coast of Socotra Island, Shanitan near Hadiboh, 12°40’09”N 54°02’51”E, biotope code S6.7.1, 7–9 m, U. Zajonz, M. Khalaf & A. Plaga, 22 March 1999 (ST-095); SMF 29225, 1: 64.0 mm SL, Socotra Archipelago, Abd al-Kuri Island, SW coast, “Trident Bay”, 12°13’27”N 52°04’16”E, highly diverse assemblages of large massive and encrusting corals, and an associated diverse fish community, 6–15 m, U. Zajonz, F.N. Saeed, M. Apel & E. Zandri, 4 April 2000 (ST-709).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Pseudochromis nigrovittatus, SMF 29225, 64.0 mm SL, “ Trident Bay ”, SW coast of Abd al-Kuri Island, Socotra Archipelago. (Photo by P. Hurst)