Brachionichthys australis Last, Gledhill & Holmes, 2007

Last, Peter R. & Gledhill Csiro, Daniel C., 2009, A revision of the Australian handfishes (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with descriptions of three new genera and nine new species 2252, Zootaxa 2252 (1), pp. 1-77 : 13-15

Brachionichthys australis Last, Gledhill & Holmes

Figs 2 , 3 , 7, 8; Tables 7–10

Brachionichthys hirsutus (not Lacepède): Günther, 1880: 28 [misidentification]

Brachionichthys sp. 2 : Last, Scott & Talbot, 1983: 252–253, fig. 22.4.

Brachionichthys sp. : Hutchins & Swainston, 1986: 34, fig. 111.

Brachionichthys sp. : Gomon, Glover & Kuiter, 1994: 283–284, fig. 252.

Brachionichthys australis Last, Gledhill & Holmes, 2007: 55–60 , figs 1, 2; Disaster Bay, southeastern Australia [original description].

Holotype. CSIRO H 4451–02 , 45.9 mm SL, E of Disaster Bay , New South Wales, 37° 18′S, 150° 17E, 125 m, 7 Dec. 1996.

Additional material. 50 specimens (28–65 mm SL): AMS I 23869–001, 46.4 mm SL, east of Batemans Bay , New South Wales, 35° 44'S, 150° 36'E, 216 m, 1 Dec. 1976; AMS I 27253–003, 40 mm SL, south-east of Ulladulla , New South Wales, 35° 29'S, 150° 46'E, 219 m, 2 Aug. 1977; AMS I 38077–001, 45.6 mm SL, south-west of Lakes Entrance, Bass Strait , Victoria, 38° 25'S, 147° 19'E, 120 m, 29 Aug. 1994; AMS I 40310– 003 , 2 specimens, 50.1 and 58.4 mm SL, south-east of Bermagui, New South Wales, 36° 44'S, 150° 08'E, 97– 101 m, 12 Apr. 2000; AMS I 40310–004, 50.6 mm SL, south-east of Bermagui , New South Wales, 36° 44'S, 150° 08'E, 97–101 m, 12 Apr. 2000; AMS I 40311–004 , 2 specimens, 50.9 and 51 mm SL, south-east of Bermagui , New South Wales, 36° 37'S, 150° 10'E, 115 m, 13 Apr. 2000; AMS I 40314–001 , 2 specimens, 41.2 and 41.6 mm SL, data as for previous lot; AMS I 43755–009, 40.7 mm SL, no other data; MNHN 1960– 0338 , 3 specimens, 60–65 mm SL, Tuggerah Lakes , New South Wales, 33° 20'S, 151° 31'E, date unknown; NMV A 13023 , 2 specimens, 46.8 and 49.4 mm SL, south-east of Merimbula , New South Wales, 36° 53'S, 150° 12'E, 119– 117 m, 5 Aug. 1993; NMV A 13024 , 7 specimens, 29.4–42.9 mm SL, Disaster Bay , New South Wales, 37° 16'S, 149° 58'E, 24–29 m, 11 Aug. 1993; NMV A 13025 , 3 specimens, 28.2–45.9 mm SL, Disaster Bay , New South Wales, 37° 17'S, 149° 59'E, 26–33 m, 11 Aug. 1993; NMV A 20795 , 2 specimens, 32.2 and 42.5 mm SL, east of Lakes Entrance , Victoria, 37° 53'S, 148° 00'E, 1 Oct. 1983; NMV A 22170 , 50.8 mm SL, south-west of Portland , Victoria, 38° 36'S, 141° 11'E, 30 Mar. 2001; QM I 21040 , 2 specimens, 39.5 and 44.1 mm SL, east of Stradbroke Island , Queensland, 27° 35'S, 153° 50'E, 210 m, 15 Dec. 1982; QM I 33334 , 2 specimens, 39.2 and 39.3 mm SL, east of Stradbroke Island , Queensland, 27° 43'S, 153° 49'E, 165 m, 24 Jul. 2002; QM I 33949 , 2 specimens, 36.5 and 39.8 mm SL, east of Stradbroke Island , Queensland, 27° 46'S, 153° 49'E, 163 m, 24 Jul. 2002; QM I 34045 , 51.6 mm SL, east of Stradbroke Island , Queensland, 27° 49'S, 153° 50'E, 161–165 m, 24 Jul. 2002; QVMT 1979.5 . 48, 47.8 mm SL, off Eddystone Point , Tasmania, ca. 41° 00'S, 148° 22'E, 37 m, QVMT 1979.5 . 142, 28.1 mm SL, off St Helens , Tasmania, ca. 41° 18'S, 148° 20'E, Jun. 1975; QVMT 2005.5.1, 53.3 mm SL, north-east Tasmania, 40° 53'S, 148° 20'E, 100 m, 16 Mar. 2005; SAMA F 10465 , 5 specimens, 30.3–34.6 mm SL, south-west of Eucla , Western Australia, 33° 17'S, 128° 12'E; SAMA F 10482 , 6 specimens, 29.2–41.3, Murray Canyons, south of Kangaroo Island , South Australia, 36° 30'S, 136° 42'E .

Material from Last et al. (2007). 39 paratypes (13–64 mm SL): CSIRO A 4316 , CSIRO H 3505–03 , CSIRO H 3530–02 , CSIRO H 3794–01 , CSIRO H 3795–02 , CSIRO H 4114–06 , CSIRO H 4114–07 , CSIRO H 4259–02 , CSIRO H 4259–03 , CSIRO H 4448–03 , CSIRO H 4460–02 , CSIRO H 4465–01 , CSIRO H 4465–02 , CSIRO H 4466–02 , CSIRO H 5699–01 , CSIRO T 1991–01 , CSIRO T 1992–01 , NMV A 226 , NMV A 1619 , NMV A 2617 , NMV A 2668 , NMV A 2670 , NMV A 2675 , NMV A 4314 , NMV A 8765 , NMV A 9043 , NMV A 11462 , NMV A 29406–001 , NMV A 29410–001 , NMV A 29411–001 , NMV A 29412–001 , TMH D 246 .

Diagnosis. Member of the genus Brachionichthys with a combination of the following characters: esca small, 8–24 (mean 14)% of illicium length (including esca); illicium very elongate, length 23–28% SL, 1.8– 2.1 times in head length; apex of adpressed illicium reaching well behind base of third dorsal-fin spine; esca narrowly filamentous, barely thicker than illicial stem, its filaments multiple, dense, obscure to somewhat globate; eye large, horizontal diameter mainly less than 5.4 times in head, 8.6–9.4% SL; upper lip fleshy; long first dorsal-fin base (length 25–30% SL); second dorsal-fin rays 16–18 (mean 17), length of fin base 55–61 (mean 58)% SL; length of second dorsal-fin spine 1.1–1.4 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin; vertebrae 22–23; upper body lightly covered with longitudinal streak-like markings rather than spots; caudal fin with sparse coverage of large dark spots, not forming a broad submarginal bar.

Size. To at least 65 mm SL (about 85 mm TL), more commonly 35–50 mm SL; smallest specimen examined 13.4 mm SL. Newly hatched young and undamaged, fully developed egg capsule diameter unknown; egg diameter 1.7–1.9 mm.

Distribution. Demersal on the continental shelf and upper slope off southern and eastern Australia; east of Stradbroke Island, Queensland (27° 35′S, 153° 50′E), to Middini Beach, in the Great Australian Bight, Western Australia (33° 17′S, 127° 31′E); south to at least the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, Tasmania (near 43° 03′S, 147° 20E), but not yet recorded from the west coast. Occurs most frequently on soft substrates in 40– 150 m depth, but to at least 220 m and inshore to 18 m; a specimen taken off Bermagui (New South Wales) was trawled in 123–277 m but the exact depth of capture cannot be determined.

Etymology. Epithet based on australis Latin for southern, in reference to its widespread temperate distribution. Vernacular name: Australian spotted handfish (Last et al., 2007).

Comparisons. Brachionichthys australis and B. hirsutus are superficially similar, but can be distinguished by a combination of coloration, meristics and selected morphometrics, as well as by molecular analysis (Last et al., 2007). Brachionichthys australis has a longer illicium (length 23–28% vs. 19–20% SL; 1.8–2.1 vs. 2.3–2.4 in head length) with a relatively smaller esca (length 8–24%, mean 14% vs. 15–26%, mean 20% of illicium length), longer second dorsal-fin spine (length 1.1–1.4 vs. 0.7–1.0 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin), larger eye (diameter mainly less than 5.4 rather than exceeding 5.4 in head), and a shorter second dorsal-fin base (55–61, mean 58% vs. 61–64, mean 62% SL) with fewer fin rays (16–18, mainly 17 vs. 17–19, mainly 18). In adults of B. australis , the upper body is lightly covered with thin streaklike markings (rather than spotted as in B. hirsutus ) and the caudal fin is sparsely spotted (densely covered with fine spots). Juveniles of B. australis are similar to adults in form and colour, but differ from similar-size juveniles of B. hirsutus in having much larger caudal and pelvic fins, and a larger eye (Last et al., 2007). Juveniles of B. australis have large dark spots over the caudal fin (with a dark submarginal caudal bar in B. hirsutus juveniles), spots are evenly distributed over the soft dorsal fin (rather than largely absent on central fin, markings concentrated anteriorly and posteriorly and coalescing with dark saddles on body), slightly longer, thinner scale spination, and the second dorsal-fin spine (when depressed) reaches to (or just behind) the second dorsal-fin origin (rather than falling well short of second dorsal fin).

Remarks. The eastern distribution of Brachionichthys australis has been extended greatly based on a summary of all available data. Last et al. (2007) give a northern limit off the south coast of New South Wales (i.e. off Bermagui, 36° 23′S). However, material provided by Jeff Johnson from the Queensland Museum (QM I 21040, QM I 33334, QM I 33949 and QM I 34045) has extended its range north to southern Queensland (i.e. off Stradbroke Island, 27° 35′S). Additional material was collected by the FRV Kapala between these locations off New South Wales (Ken Graham, pers. comm.) with a northern limit of Newcastle (ca. 33° 11′S), and another three specimens held at the MNHN, Paris, were collected off the Tuggerah Lakes (ca. 33° 20′S 151° 31′E). The FRV Kapala data is based on 21 individuals, some of which have been deposited in the Australian Museum, and their capture depths ranged from 55– 120 m. Deepwater specimens (ca. 200 m depth) reported as B. hirsutus by Günther (1880) off Twofold Bay (New South Wales), and historical records off New South Wales ( McCulloch, 1929) and Victoria (Whitley, 1949), are most likely to be of B. australis .

Some morphological differences exist in populations of B. australis . Specimens from southern Queensland have a more strongly contrasted colour pattern, being variably brownish above and almost white below (vs. more uniform with prominent linear markings in material from South Australia and Western Australia), a large and pronounced, dark brown opercular blotch (opercular blotch obscure or absent); taller first dorsal-fin spines, relatively larger spots on fins (spots on dorsal fins and caudal fins much smaller and less pronounced), and very elongate spinules without fleshy bases (spinules appearing shorter and with fleshy bases). A molecular study of populations across the range of B. australis may provide evidence of additional species.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Illustrations of the illicium and esca of: A. Brachionichthys australis, CSIRO H 4114–07, 55.8 mm SL; B. Brachionichthys hirsutus, CSIRO T 7, 78.9 mm SL; C. Brachiopsilus dianthus sp. nov., CSIRO H 4995–01, holotype, 99.5 mm SL; D. Brachiopsilus dossenus sp. nov., NMV A 29405–002, holotype, 65.0 mm SL; E. Brachiopsilus ziebelli sp. nov., CSIRO T 1993–01, holotype, 101.5 mm SL; F. Pezichthys amplispinus sp. nov., CSIRO H 4460–01, 37.2 mm SL; G. Pezichthys compressus sp. nov., CSIRO H 4447–01, holotype, 42.4 mm SL; H. Pezichthys eltanini sp. nov., LACM 11516–1, holotype, 30.0 mm SL; I. Pezichthys macropinnis sp. nov., CSIRO H 5317–02, holotype, 20.5 mm SL; J. Pezichthys nigrocilium sp. nov., CSIRO H 6154–01, holotype, 40.8 mm SL; K. Sympterichthys moultoni sp. nov., CSIRO H 3773–03, holotype, 45.1 mm SL; L. Thymichthys politus, CSIRO H 782–01, 67.3 mm SL; M. Thymichthys verrucosus (tasselled morph), CSIRO T 5, 51.3 mm SL; and N. Thymichthys verrucosus (eastern form) CSIRO H 3781– 01, 63.5 mm SL.

FIGURE 3. Skin morphology of: A. Brachionichthys australis, CSIRO H 4451–02 (x40); B. Brachionichthys hirsutus, TMH D 640 (x40); C. Brachiopsilus dianthus sp. nov., CSIRO H 4995–01, holotype (x20); D. Brachiopsilus dossenus sp. nov., NMV 29405–002, holotype (x20); E. Brachiopsilus ziebelli sp. nov., CSIRO T 1993–01, holotype (x25); F. Pezichthys amplispinus sp. nov., CSIRO H 4448–01, holotype (x50). All images orientated as a view of mid-upper body on left side (i.e. anterior part to left).