Parabembras curta (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)

Kai, Yoshiaki & Fricke, Ronald, 2018, Taxonomic review of the deep water flathead genus Parabembras with description of the new species Parabembrasmultisquamata from the western Pacific Ocean (Teleostei, Parabembridae), ZooKeys 740, pp. 59-76 : 59-62

Parabembras curta (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843) Figs 1A, 2A

Bembras curtus Temminck & Schlegel, 1843: 42, pl. 16 (fig. 6-7), Nagasaki, Japan; Richardson 1846: 217, listed, Japan; Bleeker 1853: 11, listed, Japan; Bleeker 1855: 16, listed, Japan; Bleeker 1860: 49, listed, Japan; Günther 1860: 191, Sea of Japan; Boeseman 1947: 51, Nagasaki, Japan.

Parabembras curtus : Bleeker 1874: 370, new combination; Bleeker 1879: 12, listed, Japan; Jordan and Richardson 1908: 644, Kyushu, Japan (after Temminck and Schlegel, 1843); Weber and de Beaufort 1911: listed, 288; Jordan and Metz 1913: 54, listed, Busan, Korea; Jordan and Hubbs 1925: 281, Osaka, Japan; Reeves 1927: 12, listed, northeastern China and Korea; Liang 1951: 30, listed, Keelung, Taiwan; Kamohara 1952: 70, Tosa (= Kochi), Japan; Li 1955: 258, fig. 162, Yantai and Qingdao, Shandong, China; Nishibori 1959: 342, description of carotenoids; Chu and Jin 1963: 478, fig. 364, Zhejiang, East China Sea; Kamohara 1964: 77, listed, Tosa (=Kochi), Japan; Takegawa and Morino 1970: 386, listed, Wakasa Bay, Sea of Japan; Ochiai 1984: 321, pl. 288-A, in part, Pacific coast of Japan; Lindberg and Krasyukova 1987: 160, fig. 98 [after Temminck and Schlegel (1843)], Busan, Korea and East China Sea; Jean and Kuo 1988: 55, listed, northern Taiwan; Shen 1993: 260, pl. 66 (fig. 10), Taiwan; Suzuki and Kataoka 1997: 223, pl. 661, Owase, Mie, Japan; Randall and Lim 2000: 606, listed; Jin 2006: 490, fig. 233, Yellow Sea, Bohai Sea, northern Taiwan; Shao et al. 2008: 247, listed, Pintong, southern Taiwan; Shen and Wu 2011: 346, photo, Taiwan; Nakabo and Kai 2013: 718, 1950, key, Wakasa Bay and Kumano-nada, Japan southward to East China Sea; Shinohara et al. 2014: 247, listed, Sea of Japan; Yamamoto and Nagasawa 2015: 435, listed, East China and Yellow Seas.

Parabembras curta : Nakabo 2000: 614, Key, in part, Pacific coast of Japan; Shinohara et al., 2001: 318, listed, Tosa Bay; Nakabo 2002: 614 Key, in part, Pacific coast of Japan; Shinohara et al. 2005: 428, listed, Ryukyu Islands.

Bembradium roseum (not of Gilbert 1905): Shen and Wu 2011: 345, photo, Taiwan.

Material examined.

FAKU 12176, 12280, 12371, 14289, 41439, 41441, 41443, 41445-41447, 106.0-193.1 mm SL (10 specimens), East China Sea, coll. Matsui and Takai, 20 Oct. 1949; FAKU 34911, 145.5 mm SL (1), Yawatahama, Ehime, Japan, Kishida, Mar. 1962; FAKU 35093, 114.8 mm SL (1), Tosa Bay, Kochi, Japan,. K. Amaoka, Mar. 1962; FAKU 37892, 37893, 37897, 143.9-154.1 mm SL (3), Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan, N. Taniguchi, 10 Jun. 1965; FAKU 99918, 99919, 123.3-148.2 mm SL (2), Kii Ohshima, Wakayama, Japan; FAKU 101901, 123.3 mm SL (1), Tsushima, Nagasaki, Japan, 31 Jul. 1973; FAKU 144461, 144462, 94.8-135.4 mm SL, Dong-gang, Pingtung, Taiwan, F. Tashiro and M. Y. Lee; NMMBA 2820, 86.7 mm SL, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; NMMBA 8359, 87.9 mm SL, Dong-gang, Pingtung, Taiwan, 17 Mar. 2005; NMMBA 20313, 117.3 mm SL, Dong-gang, Pingtung, Taiwan, 25 May 2013.

Diagnosis.

Parabembras curta is distinguished from P. robinsoni in the absence of a symphyseal knob on the lower jaw (vs. distinct symphyseal knob in P. robinsoni ), presence of a single preocular spine (vs. two preocular spines), and presence of two robust lachrymal spines (vs. a single robust lachrymal spine). It is further distinguished from P. multisquamata , in having 6-8 supraocular spines (vs. 9-11 supraocular spines in P. multisquamata ); nine (rarely eight) spines in the first dorsal fin (vs. 10 spines); 34-39 pored lateral-line scales (vs. 40-44 pored lateral line scales).

Description.

Measurements are shown in Table 1. Body cylindrical, posteriorly weakly compressed, completely covered with ctenoid scales. Nasal spine simple, dorsoposteriorly directed. Anterior lachrymal with single robust spine, posterolaterally directed, in some specimens with small additional spine anteriorly; posterior lachrymal with sharp spine, posteroventrally directed. Single preocular spine present. Interorbital region narrow and weekly depressed, with 6-8 supraocular spines. Single postocular spine present, slightly larger than posteriormost supraocular spine. Suborbital ridge strongly or moderately developed, with three robust spines; tip of anteriormost spine below center of eye, second below posterior margin of eye, posteriormost below pterotic spine. Parietal spine robust and sharp, posteriorly directed. Three nuchal spines, one each on supratemporal, posttemporal, and supracleithrum, respectively; posttemporal in some specimens with additional spine. Pterotic with single sharp posteriorly directed spine. Preopercle with single robust posteriorly directed spine, in some specimens with supplementary spine; ventral margin of preopercle smooth. Opercle with upper and lower spines, directed slightly dorsoposteriorly and ventroposteriorly, respectively. Dermal flaps on head absent, except for flap on anterior nostril. Gill rakers blunt, usually four (in some specimens five) on upper limb; 11-13 (modally 12) on lower limb, including single (longest) raker at angle. Lateral line running parallel to dorsal contour of body, extending beyond caudal-fin base; 34-39 (modally 36) pored lateral line scales on body and 2-3 on caudal fin, each with single, robust tube.

Mouth large, slightly oblique; maxilla reaching anterior rim of pupil; posterior margin of maxilla with distinct notch. Upper half of maxilla fitting within groove below suborbital ridge. Symphyseal knob absent from lower jaw. Upper and lower jaws with villiform teeth arranged in a band; vomer V-shaped, with villiform teeth; tooth band on palatine narrow.

First dorsal fin originating above level of pectoral-fin base, with usually nine spines (rarely eight), gradually increasing in length to fifth spine. First and second dorsal fins well separated. Second dorsal fin with one spine and eight soft rays; first soft ray somewhat longer than spine. Second dorsal and anal fins opposite each other, nearly equal in length and height; origin of latter slightly posterior to that of former. Caudal fin rounded. Pectoral fin rounded, upper half somewhat longer than lower half; its tip not reaching to level of anus, usually with 20-22 rays (modally 21), the lower 3-8 rays unbranched.

Coloration. In fresh condition, head and body reddish orange, white ventrally; faint dark red saddle below first and second dorsal fins, respectively; fins red, interradial membranes pale red; posterior half of caudal fin dark red. In preserved specimens, head and body pale brown; fins pale gray without any markings.

Geographical distribution.

Known from the western Pacific Ocean; Wakasa Bay of Sea of Japan and Kumano-nada, Pacific coast of Japan and Korea south to China and Taiwan (East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Bohai, and northern part of South China Sea) (Fig. 3). Benthic, on sandy mud substrate from depths of 60-141 m (Chu and Jin, 1963; Nakabo and Kai, 2013; present study).

Remarks.

Parabembras curta was originally described as a member of Bembras by Temminck and Schlegel (1843) on the basis of the specimens collected in Japan 1823-1834 by Philipp von. Siebold and Heinrich Bürger. Boeseman (1947) reviewed the Siebold and Bürger’s collection, and designated RMNH-D 682 as the lectotype and RMNH-D 2057 as paralectotype of the species. According to Boeseman (1947), the lectotype has nine spines in the first dorsal fin and the paralectotype has eight spines. The figure of the species given in the original description is characterized as having eight spines in first dorsal fin, one spine and eight rays in the second dorsal fin, a single preocular spine, seven supraorbital spines, and two robust lacrimal spines. The photo of RMNH-D 682 published by Yamaguchi and Machida (2003) indicates clearly the absence of a symphyseal knob on the lower jaw.

The short description of P. curta given by Günther (1860) agrees with the present specimens in the nine spines in the first dorsal fin. Jordan and Hubbs (1925), who established the family Parabembridae (originally as Parabembradidae ), described P. curta as having nine spines in the first dorsal fin and two spines and seven rays in the second dorsal fin. Although the count of spines in the second dorsal fin is not usual for any three species recognized here, the counts of pored lateral line scales (37), gill rakers on lower limb (11) and supraocular spines (6) agreed well with the present specimens of P. curta . The descriptions of P. curta from the East China Sea given by Li (1955), Chu and Jin (1963) and Jin (2006) and that from Kochi, Japan by Kamohara (1952) are referable to the species identified here with reference to the counts of dorsal-fin spine (9) and lateral line scales (35-40). Lindberg and Krasyukova (1987) recorded P. curta on the basis of four specimens from Busan (Korea) and the East China Sea. They characterized the species as having nine spines in the first dorsal fin and 36-38 lateral line scales, which agrees with counts in the present specimens of P. curta . Suzuki and Kataoka (1997) characterized P. curta from Mie Prefecture, Japan as having 10 spines in the first dorsal fin. Although the count of dorsal–fin spines was rather similar to Parabembras multisquamata described below, the pectoral fin of their specimen does not reach to anus, matching the condition of the present specimens of P. curta . In addition, the established distributional range of P. curta is close to the locality of Suzuki and Kataoka’s (1997) specimen. The short description of P. curta given by Ochiai (1984) apparently includes several species recognized here, because he assumed that P. curta was widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, and also presented a wide range in the count of dorsal-fin rays ( IX–X-I, 7-9) (which apparently also includes P. multisquamata and P. robinsoni ). The photograph provided by Ochiai (1984) agrees with the present specimens of P. curta in the short pectoral fin (not reaching to the anus) and absence of a symphyseal knob. The description of Shen (1993) apparently followed that of Ochiai (1984), but the photograph provided by him is referable to P. curtus recognized by the short pectoral fin (not reaching to the anus) and absence of a symphyseal knob. The keys and short descriptions of P. curtus presented by Nakabo (2000; 2002) also apparently followed Ochiai (1984). The images of P. curta and Bembradium roseum Gilbert, 1905 published by Shen and Wu (2011) are here both identified as P. curta in having nine spines in the first dorsal fin and three spines in the anal fin. However, their description of B. roseum does not agree with the specimen shown in their photograph which has 11 anal-fin rays.

The record of P. curta from the eastern Indian Ocean by Lin (1974: 26, western Indonesia) cannot be verified; specimens from these regions are needed to establish their identity. Although Krakstad et al. (2014: 74, 75) listed P. curtus from Myanmar, this record is not based on a species of Parabembras , but of Bembras (Peter Psomadakis, pers. comm.).