Enneapterygius nanus ( Schultz, 1960 )

Dewa, Yuna, Tashiro, Satokuni & Motomura, Hiroyuki, 2023, A new species of the genus Enneapterygius (Perciformes: Tripterygiidae) from Japan and the Philippines, with a synopsis and synonymy of related species, Zootaxa 5374 (3), pp. 333-360 : 352-354

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5374.3.2

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D8FF43DE-4A2F-4E72-A621-B0A11EEACE72

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10168533

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D166C557-FFFA-FFA6-FF7E-D581FB0A512A

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Enneapterygius nanus ( Schultz, 1960 )
status

 

Enneapterygius nanus ( Schultz, 1960) View in CoL

[English name: Pygmy Triplefin]

Figures 4–6 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 , 12 View FIGURE 12 ; Tables 4 View TABLE 4 , 6 View TABLE 6 , 7 View TABLE 7

Tripterygion nanus Schultz, 1960: 288 View in CoL , fig. 112 (original description; type locality: Rujoru Island , Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands).

Enneapterygius nanus View in CoL : Myers, 1991: 204, unnumbered fig. [Enewetak, Marshall Islands (based on Schultz, 1960)].

Holotype. USNM 142233 About USNM , male, 15.8 mm SL, lagoon reef at Rujoru island , Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands, 2 June 1946, L. Schultz.

Paratypes. 4 specimens (16.4–17.9 mm SL). USNM 142234 About USNM *, 2 males, 16.4–17.6 mm SL, same data as holotype; USNM 142238 About USNM , 2 males, 17.5–17.9 mm SL, tidepool at Enybarbar island , Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands, 18 June 1946, L. Schultz .

Non-type specimen. NSMT-P 54443 , male, 14.3 mm SL, Eroj island , Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, 0.5 m, 6 Aug. 1982, K. Matsuura .

Diagnosis. A species of Enneapterygius ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 ) with the following combination of characters: 12 or 13 (modally 12) second dorsal-fin spines; 9 or 10 (9) third dorsal-fin rays; I, 16 or 17 (16) anal-fin rays; ii–iv (ii) + 4–6 (6) + vii = 15 pectoral-fin rays (ii + 6 + vii = 15 in holotype, iii + 5 + vii = 15 in 2 specimens, iv + 4 + vii = 15 in single specimen); 12 or 13 pored lateral-line scales; 19–21 (20 or 21) notched lateral-line scales; 31–33 (33) scale rows in longitudinal series; 1 or 2 (1½ or 2) scales above 1st pored lateral-line scale; 2 or 2½ (2) scales below 1st notched lateral-line scale; 8 circumpeduncular scales; mandibular pore formula 3 + 1 +3; head relatively short, its length 28.3–30.1% (mean 29.5%) of SL; upper jaw relatively long, its length 9.8–11.2% (10.4%) of SL; 1st spine of first dorsal fin shorter than that of 2nd dorsal fin, its length 8.2–10.5% (9.8%) of SL; anterior nostril tentacle unbranched; orbital tentacle small, leaf-shaped, the edge slightly rounded, its length less than or subequal to half of pupil diameter; body translucent, lower half and ventral surface of head, including pelvic-fin base, black in nuptial males; no black pigmentation on pectoral-fin base; caudal fin transparent, sometimes with faint brownish bars; body plain and pale in females; pectoral-fin rays with no pigmentation.

Distribution. Enneapterygius nanus is currently known only from the Marshall Islands ( Schultz, 1960; Myers, 1991; this study) ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ).

Remarks. Enneapterygius nanus was originally described as Tripterygion nanus based on 41 specimens from the Marshall Islands (Bikini, Eniwetok, Rongerik, Rongelap, and Kwajalein atolls). Subsequently, Myers (1989) transferred the species to Enneapterygius , adding a record from the Mariana Islands. However, Myers (1989) ’s description and a sketch were based entirely on Schultz (1960). Although Myers (1989, 1991) included an underwater photograph of E. nanus taken in Guam, that individual was identified here as Enneapterygius sp. 3 sensu Motomura et al. (2010). In addition, Fricke (1994, 1997) recorded E. nanus from widespread western Pacific localities, ranging from Taiwan and Thailand, south to New Caledonia, and east to American Samoa. However, meristics and measurements of E. nanus given by Fricke (1994, 1997) matched poorly those of the E. nanus type specimens examined in the present study. Examination of the specimens identified as E. nanus in this study revealed that those from the Marshall Islands tended to have fewer anal-fin rays (16 or 17 rays) [vs. 17–19 (modally 19) rays in specimens from other areas] and mandibular pores (7 pores in total; mandibular pore formula 3 + 1 + 3) (vs. 7–9 pores; mandibular pore formula 3 + 1 + 3, 3 + 2 + 3, and 4 + 1 + 4). Fricke’s (1994, 1997) description of the mandibular pore formula of E. nanus as 3 + 2 + 3, contradicts that of the Marshall Islands’ specimens, suggesting that the former was based on a different, misidentified species. In fact, it is likely that E. nanus is endemic to the Marshall Islands, as no reliable distributional records of the species from other localities exist.

Enneapterygius nanus is similar to E. olivaceus n. sp. in having 12 or 13 (modally 12) second dorsal-fin spines, 12 or (13) pored lateral-line scales; 19–21 (19 or 20) notched lateral-line scales, 1–2 (2) scales above 1st pored lateral-line scale, 2 or 2.5 (2) scales below 1st notched lateral-line scale, mandibular pore formula 3 + 1 + 3, long upper jaw, its length 9.5–13.1%, and leaf-shaped orbital tentacle with rounded edge ( Fig. 5A, C View FIGURE 5 ; Tables 1 View TABLE 1 , 4 View TABLE 4 , 6 View TABLE 6 , 7 View TABLE 7 ). However, E. nanus differs from E. olivaceus n. sp. in shorter lengths of head length and 1st spine of the first dorsal fin, orbital tentacle shape, and the pigmentation of pectoral-fin (See E. olivaceus n. sp. Remarks.).

TABLE 4. Counts and morphometric measurements (as % of SL) of specimens of Enneapterygius nanus

  Holotype Paratypes Non-type
  USNM 142233 n = 4 NSMT-P. 54443
  Marshall Islands Marshall Islands Marshall Islands
  Male Males Male
Standard length (SL; mm) 15.8 16.4–17.9 14.3
Counts      
Dorsal-fin rays III, XII, 9 III, XII–XIII, 9–10 III, XII, 9
Anal-fin rays I, 16 I, 16–17 I, 16
Pectoral-fin rays ii + 6 + vii = 15 iii + 5 + vii = 15 iv + 4 + vii = 15
Scale rows in longitudinal series 31 33 damaged
Pored lateral-line scales 12 12–13 13
Notched lateral-line scales 19–21 20–21 damaged
Scales above of 1st PLL 2 1–2 2
Scales below 2nd dorsal fin 2–3 2
Scales below of 1st NLL 2 2
Circumpeduncular scales 8 8  
Mandibular pore formula 3 + 1 + 3 3 + 1 + 3 3 + 1 + 3
Measurements (% SL)      
Body depth 18.6 18.5–20.4 18.9
Body width 16.4 15.0–17.7 18.2
Head length 29.5 28.3–30.0 30.1
Snout length 8.4 7.5–7.8 9.1
Orbit diameter 9.4 10.8–10.9 9.8
Interorbital width 2.4 2.7–3.0 1.4
Upper-jaw length 10 10.6–11.2 9.8
Postorbital length 12.5 13.1–13.2 11.9
Pre-1st-dorsal-fin length 26.3 23.4–25.1 25.9
Pre-2nd-dorsal-fin length 36.2 35.4–36.1 34.3
Pre-3rd-dorsal-fin length 70.4 70.1–72.0 64.3
Pre-anal-fin length 49.8 48.4–49.1 51.0
Anal-fin base length 37.7 41.6–45.0 38.5
Pre-pectoral-fin length 31.0 29.6–30.4 32.9
Pre-pelvic-fin length 23.0 24.1–25.1 23.8
Caudal peduncle length 12.7 9.8–13.6 11.9
Caudal peduncle depth 8.3 8.2–10.6 7.7
1st spine length of 1st dorsal fin 10.0 8.2–10.5 10.5
2nd spine length of 1st dorsal fin 8.2 7.9 9.8
3rd spine length of 1st dorsal fin 8.0 damaged 7.0
1st dorsal-fin base length 5.5 5.1–6.9 5.6
1st spine length of 2nd dorsal fin damaged 14.4 12.6
2nd spine length of 2nd dorsal fin damaged 13.0 15.4
3rd spine length of 2nd dorsal fin 15.6 14.9 14.0
2nd dorsal-fin base length 29.2 32.7–32.9 26.6
1st ray length of 3rd dorsal fin damaged 16.1 15.4
2nd ray length of 3rd dorsal fin damaged 13.0 14.0
3rd dorsal fin base length 15.7 15.2 damaged
Pectoral-fin length 31.0 31.8–32.8 14.7
1st ray length of pelvic fin 17.6 15.6–19.3 27.3
2nd ray length of pelvic fin 25.8 25.0–25.4 damaged

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Order

Perciformes

Family

Tripterygiidae

Genus

Enneapterygius

Loc

Enneapterygius nanus ( Schultz, 1960 )

Dewa, Yuna, Tashiro, Satokuni & Motomura, Hiroyuki 2023
2023
Loc

Enneapterygius nanus

Myers, R. F. 1991: 204
1991
Loc

Tripterygion nanus

Schultz, L. P. 1960: 288
1960
GBIF Dataset (for parent article) Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF