Aseraggodes lenisquamis, Randall, 2005

Randall, John E., 2005, A review of soles of the genus Aseraggodes from the South Pacific, with descriptions of seven new species and a diagnosis of Synclidopus., Memoirs of Museum Victoria 62 (2), pp. 191-212 : 201-203

Aseraggodes lenisquamis sp. nov.

Figure 9 , Tables 1–3, 7

Aseraggodes sp. --–– Kuiter, 1993: 391, upper fig. (central to southern NSW).

Holotype. NMV A 19646, 102 mm, Australia, NSW, Sydney Harbor , Camp Cove (33°50’S, 151°17’E), 4 m, hand net, R. H. Kuiter, 17 Jan 1985.

Paratypes. NMV A 3607 , 65 mm, Australia, NSW, Bermagui , Horseshoe Bay, 36°25’S, 150°4’E, 10 m, hand net , R.H. Kuiter , 24 Jan 1984 ; NMV A 5827 , 88 mm, same locality as preceding, 4–10 m, hand net , R.H. Kuiter , 30 Jan 1984 ; NMV A 25543-002 , 2 : 64.5–82.5 mm , BPBM 39610 , 82 mm , CAS 221846 , 78 mm , NSMT P 70086 , 69 mm , BMNH 2004.10 .26.4, 77.5 mm , USNM 380210 , 68 mm, all with same data as holotype ; AMS I.27047-001, 73 mm, NSW, Jervis Bay , Hare Bay, 35°3'S, 150°44'E, 6 m, beam trawl, F . R.I. Jervis Bay study, 28 Oct 1986 ; AMS 27063-013 , 65 mm, NSW, Jervis Bay , Hare Bay, 35°0'S, 150°45'E, 2–7 m, J. Bell (State Fisheries), Dec 1986 ; AMS I.28514- 002, 79 mm, NSW, Jervis Bay , Darling Road, 35°3'S, 150°44'E, 5 m, beam trawl, J. Bell and party, 28 Sep 1988 .

Diagnosis. Dorsal rays 62–70; anal rays 46–52; dorsal and anal rays branched; lateral-line scales 62–68, including 8–9 anterior to a vertical at upper end of gill opening; vertebrae 36–38; dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 8–9; body depth 2.4–2.65 in SL; head short, its length 4.75–5.05 in SL; eye diameter 4.6–5.7 in HL; upper eye overlapping about anterior one-third to one-half of lower eye; interorbital space variable in width, the vertical distance separating eyes 7.3–13.7 in HL; no caudal peduncle; lappet–like cirri on ventral edge of head, but not on front of snout; numerous cirri on opercular edge of gill opening on both sides; dense cirri over much of ventral part of head; exposed surface of scales overlaid with soft tissue; only tips of cirri visible at scale margins, capped with soft tissue; lateral-line scales with fleshy cirri, often one above and one below pore (cirri better developed on ocular than blind side); scattered other scales with a slender fleshy cirrus, often one from each corner of scale; membranous ridges of both sides of dorsal and anal rays with a conspicuous fringe of cirri, some of which are bifid; lateral line aligned with upper eye; longest dorsal ray 1.65–1.8 in HL; caudal fin rounded, its length 4.6–5.05 in SL; pelvic fins short, 1.8–2.2 in HL, the tip of longest ray reaching base of second anal ray; ocular side light brown, with scattered small dark brown blotches; rays of fins with small dark brown spots. Largest specimen, 102 mm SL.

Description. Dorsal rays 69 (62–70); anal rays 51 (46–52); dorsal and anal rays branched, most double-branched in large specimens; caudal rays 18, branched, the middle 16 double-branched; pelvic rays 5, double-branched; lateral-line scales on ocular side 67 (62–68), including 8–9 anterior to a vertical at upper end of gill opening; scales above lateral line on ocular side to dorsal-fin base about 21; scales below lateral line to anal-fin base about 23; vertebrae 37 (five paratypes with 37, two with 36, and one with 38); dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 9 (8–9); only the erisma (counted as the first dorsal pterygiophore before tip of second neural spine) about twice as thick as remaining pterygiophores, its inner third narrowly branched; next 5 (5–6) pterygiophores in space between second and third neural spines; space between third and fourth neural spines with 3 (2–3) pterygiophores; total pterygiophores before fourth neural spine 9 (five paratypes with 9, and four with 8); ventroanterior margin of urohyal forming an angle of about 55°, the corner only slightly rounded.

Body depth 2.55 (2.4–2.65) in SL; body width 5.45 (4.85–5.45) in body depth; ventral profile of head posterior to mouth nearly straight; head short, its length 4.85 (4.75–5.05) in SL; snout length 2.55 (2.45–2.5) in HL; eye diameter 4.95 (4.6–5.7) in HL; least vertical interorbital width 10.2 (7.3–13.7) in HL; upper eye overlapping anterior one-third to one-half of lower eye; upper end of gill opening on a horizontal passing about an eye diameter ventral to lower eye; no caudal peduncle (base of lowermost caudal ray ending above base of last anal ray); depth of body at base of caudal fin 1.35 (1.25–1.45) in HL.

Front of upper lip not overlapping lower lip when mouth closed; maxilla extending to below anterior margin of pupil, the upper jaw length (blind side) 3.45 (3.25–3.45) in HL; blind side of upper and lower jaws with a dense band of slender, inward-projecting, slightly curved teeth in a maximum of about 8 rows; no teeth on ocular side of jaws; anterior nostril a short membranous tube, tapering very little, anterior to upper edge of lower eye, and not reaching edge of eye when laid back; posterior nostril a slit in labial groove in front of upper half of lower eye; anterior nostril of blind side a membranous tube above anterior third of upper lip; posterior nostril of blind side dorsoposterior to anterior nostril; internarial distance about two-thirds eye diameter.

Surface of scales smooth, the ridges of cteni covered with cutaneous tissue; free margin of scales angular (though posterior end not acutely pointed); only tips of cteni of scales visible at scale margin (up to 14 on holotype), each covered with soft tissue; 2 (2–4) rows of scales in interorbital space, with another 2–3 rows extending medially and anteriorly onto eyes; no pores detected beneath scales on ocular side of body; scales on ocular side of head progressively smaller anteriorly, replaced at front of snout and ventrally on head with band of dense cirri nearly eye diameter in width; cirri at front edge of snout very small, those of ventral edge of head longer and more lappet–like, the longest nearly pupil diameter in length, a few branched at tips; a broader band of dense cirri anteriorly on blind side of head, around mouth, and extending in a zone along supratemporal branch of lateral line, which continues, progressively less distinct, onto about anterior half of body; band of cirri at edge of operculum on both sides, a dense fringe along gill opening; lateral-line scales with cirri, usually one above and one below the pore; scattered other scales with cirri, generally one at each corner; dorsal end of gill opening on a horizontal line passing about an eye diameter below lower eye. Lateral line straight midlaterally on both sides, projecting on ocular side toward upper eye.

Dorsal and anal fins with a basal sheath of 2 rows of scales; dorsal and anal rays on both sides with a fleshy lengthwise ridge bearing a fringe of prominent cirri; ridges on rays less developed posteriorly and with fewer cirri, especially on blind side; scales on basal half of caudal fin progressively smaller distally.

Origin of dorsal fin anterior to upper eye, the predorsal length 4.5 (4.0–4.65) in HL; first dorsal ray 3.0 (3.1–3.55) in HL; longest dorsal ray 1.7 (1.65–1.8) in HL; origin of anal fin below base of seventeenth dorsal ray and slightly posterior to end of opercular membrane, the preanal length 3.85 (3.8–4.05) in SL; length of first anal ray 2.8 (2.5–2.95) in HL; longest anal ray 1.7 (1.6–1.8) in HL; caudal fin rounded, 4.6 (4.6–5.05) in SL; anus directly before first anal ray, preceded by fan–like semicircle of plicate tissue; genital papilla on ocular side of anus, its length nearly three-fourths eye diameter in holotype; bases of pelvic fins adjacent anteriorly, diverging posteriorly, the ocular-side fin a little before blind-side fin; pelvic fins not joined by membrane or to genital papilla; third pelvic ray of each fin longest, reaching to base of second anal ray, 2.05 (1.85–2.0) in HL.

Colour of ocular side of holotype in alcohol light brown with many small dark brown blotches, some stellate or cross-shaped; fins pale yellowish with small dark brown spots along rays, most spots coinciding with one or a clump of cirri (see below).

Etymology. This species is named lenisquamis from the Latin lenis for soft or smooth and squama for scale, in reference to the distinctive scale structure. The cteni of the scales are nearly covered by soft epidermal tissue, with only the tips exposed at the scale margin.

Remarks. Kuiter (1993: 391) figured two specimens as Aseraggodes sp. , his upper figure labelled as the estuarine form, and the lower as coastal form. Upper figure ( NMV A 25543–002, 82.5 mm SL) is included here as a paratype. When fresh, it was orangish brown with diffuse blackish blotches, the three along lateral line and one above the first blotch the largest; head and body with numerous, small, very irregular, dark-edged whitish spots; fin rays grey-brown with small dark-edged whitish spots, the ray tips white. The colour of the lower figure is very different, mottled lighter brown, likely to have been collected from a paler sand bottom.

This species was collected from sand in bays in NSW from depths of 4– 10 m. It is among the most distinctive of the genus because of its angular and smoother scales and the profusion of fleshy cirri, in particular those on most of the lateral-line scales.

The covering of the ctenii of the scales by soft tissue except the small tips is also found in A. normani , but its scales have a rounded posterior margin instead of an angular one. It is easily distinguished from lenisquamis in other characters such as the branching of its lateral line on the ocular side of the head, its unbranched dorsal and anal rays, and the pelvic fins joined to the base of the genital papilla.

Aseraggodes lenisquamis is most similar to A. nigrocirratus , described below (see Remarks for the latter species).

The lower figure of this species in Kuiter (1993) mentioned above, was not identified initially as A. lenisquamis because of the broad interorbital space and the upper eye being almost directly over the interorbital space. However, the specimen was found as NMV A5827, 88 mm SL, from its shape, details of colour, and a distinct small tear in the caudal fin. The interorbital of the preserved specimen is much narrower, and the upper eye is more forward. A similar shrinkage of the interorbital with preservation was found in the holotype of A. auroculus .

Figures

Figure 9. Holotype of Aseraggodes lenisquamis, NMV A 19646, 102 mm, NSW.