Cypselurus naresii socotranus ( Steindachner, 1902 ) Shakhovskoy & Parin, 2024

Shakhovskoy, Ilia B. & Parin, Nikolay V., 2024, A review of the flying fish genus Cypselurus (Beloniformes: Exocoetidae). Part 3. Revision of the subgenus Cypselurus sensu stricto with descriptions of one new species and four new subspecies and reinstatement of Cypselurus crockeri Seale and Exocoetus socotranus Steindachner, Zootaxa 5473 (1), pp. 1-125 : 70-71

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5473.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C1C88769-E7EB-47E7-8EAD-A57D8B3956C6

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B187B6-CE4C-F328-FA83-F25A7077B473

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scientific name

Cypselurus naresii socotranus ( Steindachner, 1902 )
status

new combination

Cypselurus naresii socotranus ( Steindachner, 1902) new combination

Synonymy and bibliography.

Exococtus socotranus Steindachner, 1902: 318 View in CoL (original description; open sea between Abdal Kuri and Socotra).

Exocoetus socotranus . Steindachner 1903: 155–156 (description; open sea between Abdal Kuri and Socotra). Fowler & Steinitz 1956: 272 (alluded as a probable synonym of Exocoetus oligolepis Bleeker View in CoL ). Shakhovskoy & Bogorodsky 2021: 382, 384, figure 2 [re-description of type of Exocoetus socotranus ; synonymous with Cypselurus naresii (Günther) View in CoL ].

Cypselurus comatus View in CoL (non Mitchill). Kotthaus 1969: 11–12, figs. 162, 174 (description; Gulf of Aden; in part: only specimen 155 mm SL).

Cypselurus naresii View in CoL . Kovalevskaya 1982: 114–116, figs. 5–6 (early life history stages; Indian Ocean; in part: only specimens from Gulf of Aden). Parin 1984: EXOC Cyp 10 (description, figures, distribution; western Indian Ocean; in part). Shakhovskoy & Collette 2022: 347–349, pl. 59, upper right photo (short description, distribution; western Indian Ocean; in part).

Cheilopogon sp. Zajonz et al. 2019: 66 (holotype of E. socotranus listed as possessing characters of genus Cheilopogon Lowe View in CoL ).

Probable misidentifications. Fowler & Steinitz (1956: 271) described a specimen of Cypsilurus socotranus from Eilat, Israel. However, we regard it as a misidentification of Cheilopogon katherinae Shakhovskoy & Parin, 2019 . Afterwards Dor (1984: 61) listed Hirundichthys socotranus View in CoL in the checklist of Red Sea fishes basing on description of Fowler and Steinitz. Other authors, who have subsequently listed H. socotranus View in CoL ( Goren and Dor 1994: 15. Zajonz et al. 2000: 152. Golani and Bogorodsky 2010: 62) were probably based on the same misidentification.

Material examined. Sixteen specimens 51–182 mm SL.

Full morphological study. IORAS 04207 (1, 113.5 mm SL), Bandar Imran , Yemen, 4.09.1966 . IORAS 04208 (1, 159 mm SL), 12°35’N 44°45’E, 31.08.1964 GoogleMaps . IORAS 04218 (1, 113 mm SL), 14°44’N 50°02’E, 25.10.1960 GoogleMaps . IORAS 04236 (4, 109– 123 mm SL), 12°19’N 45°07’E, 20- 21.10.1960 GoogleMaps . IORAS uncat* (3, 147– 165 mm SL), 12°22’N 43°59’E, 5.03.1983 GoogleMaps . IORAS uncat* (1, 182 mm SL), 12°25’N 45°33’E GoogleMaps . USNM 306032 About USNM (2, 158– 162 mm SL), 11°25’N 43°58’E, 4.05.1986 GoogleMaps .

Partial morphological study. IORAS uncat* (1, 51 mm SL), 13°41’N 42°32’E, 15- 16.10.1960 GoogleMaps . IORAS uncat* (1, 146 mm SL), Socotra I., 12.05.1958 . ZMH 4979 View Materials * (1, 155 mm SL), 12°03’N 43°46’E, 12.11.1964 GoogleMaps .

Holotype of C. n. socotranus was studied by S. V. Bogorodsky (see Shakhovskoy & Bogorodsky 2021). Data from that work are given below. NMW 84634 View Materials , between Abd-al Kuri and Socotra Islands , Yemen, 9 January 1889. Length 162.4 mm SL. D 11, A 8, P I 14, Spred ~29, Vert 41 (27 + 14). Measurements (in % SL): c 22.8, o 7.4, lP 66.6, lV 25.7, HD 9.2 . Lower jaw slightly projecting, a bit longer than upper jaw, upper jaw not pointed anteriorly. Jaw teeth are small and conical, perceptible by touch in lower jaw. Pectoral fins pigmented to 10th ray. Pelvic fins with a dark blotch between 2nd–4th rays distally. Pelvic-fin base about midway between rear margin of the head and origin of caudal-fin lower lobe. First anal-fin ray beneath 6th dorsal-fin ray. Second and third dorsal-fin rays the longest.

Additional characters of the holotype may be found in Steindachner (1902, 1903). Steindachner (1903) regarded E. socotranus as very close to (or even identical with) E. brachysoma Bleeker [= C. oligolepis apus (Valenciennes) ]. However, we are confident that E. socotranus is a junior synonym of C. naresii (see rationale in Shakhovskoy & Bogorodsky 2021), though peculiarity of specimens from the Gulf of Aden and Socotra permits us to single out them into a subspecies C. naresii socotranus ( Figs. 30 View FIGURE 30 , 31 View FIGURE 31 ).

Differential diagnosis. This subspecies is a dwarf coastal morph of C. naresii , its maximum size is only 182 mm SL. Cypselurus n. socotranus differs from all other subspecies in fewer total (40–41 vs. 40–45, usually ≥ 42) and precaudal (25–27 vs. 26–30, usually ≥ 27) vertebrae ( Table 6), shorter pelvic fins ( Fig. 20c View FIGURE20 ) and a shorter chin barbel, which is lost as early as 109 mm SL ( Fig. 20d View FIGURE20 ), as well as in pigmentation of anal fin and chin barbel (see above): anal fin is devoid of pigmentation in fish> 121 mm SL, and short tapered chin barbel is mainly pale ( Fig. 30d View FIGURE 30 ). Also, C. n. socotranus slightly differs from all conspecifics except C. n. septentrionalis in more transverse scales (8½–10½ vs. 6½–9½, usually <8½, see Table 2), larger dorso-caudal distance (25.1–27.3% SL vs. 22.0–27.1, usually <25.1% SL) and more anterior position of pelvic-fin base (aV 58.8–62.7, usually <61.0% SL vs. 59.5–65.4, usually> 61.0% SL ( Fig. 20 View FIGURE20 ); index cV/pV 0.91–1.07, usually <1.00 vs. 0.91–1.22, usually> 1.00).

Common name. The name “Socotran pharao flying fish” (Russian: “сокотранский стрижехвост-фараон”) is proposed here.

Distribution. This subspecies is distributed ( Fig. 24 View FIGURE 24 ) mainly in coastal waters of the Gulf of Aden east to Socotra (IORAS uncat.); also a juvenile (drifted with surface currents?) was captured in the southern Red Sea (IORAS uncat., 13°41’N 42°32’E).

V

Royal British Columbia Museum - Herbarium

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Order

Beloniformes

Family

Exocoetidae

Genus

Cypselurus

Loc

Cypselurus naresii socotranus ( Steindachner, 1902 )

Shakhovskoy, Ilia B. & Parin, Nikolay V. 2024
2024
Loc

Cheilopogon sp.

Zajonz, U. & Lavergne, E. & Bogorodsky, S. V. & Saeed, F. N. & Aideed, M. S. & Krupp, F. 2019: 66
2019
Loc

Cypselurus naresii

Shakhovskoy, I. B. & Collette, B. B. 2022: 347
Kovalevskaya, N. V. 1982: 114
1982
Loc

Cypselurus comatus

Kotthaus, A. 1969: 11
1969
Loc

Exocoetus socotranus

Shakhovskoy, I. B. & Bogorodsky, S. V. 2021: 382
Fowler, H. W. & Steinitz, H. 1956: 272
Steindachner, F. 1903: 155
1903
Loc

Exococtus socotranus

Steindachner, F. 1902: 318
1902
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