Chelidoperca santosi, Williams, Jeffrey T. & Carpenter, Kent E., 2015

Williams, Jeffrey T. & Carpenter, Kent E., 2015, A new fish species of the subfamily Serraninae (Perciformes, Serranidae) from the Philippines, Zootaxa 3911 (2), pp. 287-293 : 288-291

Chelidoperca santosi , new species

Common name: Pogi Perchlet ( Fig. 1 )

Holotype. PNM 15190 (previously USNM 424586); 69 mm SL; Philippines: vicinity of Palawan, found in the mouth of a large grouper (species not recorded) in Iloilo City fish Market, exact locality unknown, vendor stated that he received the shipment containing this fresh fish from Palawan; field number PHI- 2013-46; tissue voucher number PHI-422; 20 June 2013; J.T. Williams & K.E. Carpenter; depth of capture unknown.

Paratypes. NMV A16485: 84 mm SL; Philippines, Bohol Sea, off Mindanao; depth 146 m; latitude 9.5066667, longitude 123.8416667; collected by otter trawl; R/V Alpha Helix 79-1; 22 Nov 1979; Chung-Chen Lu. USNM 427531, 69 mm SL; out of NMV A16485.

Diagnosis. Dorsal rays X, 10; preopercle with 40–45 serrae; exposed portion of posttemporal with 5–7 spines at beginning of LL; lateral-line tubed scales 42–45; scales above lateral line to dorsal origin 2.5–3.0; body pinkish without dark markings; snout with row of four small dark spots (two in front of each eye); two dark spots on chin (one on each side of symphysis of dentaries); maxillaries pinkish anteriorly with posterior half white with dusky streak positioned centrally near dorsal edge; pelvic fin white with yellow streak on middle rays; white anal fin with six large yellow spots separated by broad white interspaces and a narrow yellow distal border; caudal fin with reddish pink base surrounding small pinkish white spot over bases of middle rays, remainder of fin white with four narrow yellow bands and yellowish distal margin;; caudal-fin shape weakly emarginate.

Description. Dorsal rays X, 10, third spine longest, tenth ray longest; anal rays III, 6, third spine longest, sixth ray longest; pectoral rays 16, dorsalmost 2 unbranched, others branched with middle rays longest and reaching to anus; pelvic fin I, 5, first two rays thickened and heavily branched, innermost ray with narrow skin flap medially, reaching anal fin when depressed; caudal fin weakly emarginate with 9 dorsal and 7 ventral procurrent rays, 1 or 2 (2) dorsal and 1 or 2 (2) ventral unbranched rays, 8 + 7 branched rays, 18 or 19 (19) total segmented rays; LL with 42–45 (42) tubed scales to caudal base (some scales missing); scales above LL to origin of dorsal fin 2.5 or 3 (2.5); scales above LL to base of middle dorsal spine 2.5; scales below LL to origin of anal fin 10 or 11 (10); diagonal rows of scales on cheek 6 or 7 (6); scales on top of head extending anteriorly to vertical from anterior margin of pupil (some scales missing, but distinct scale pockets present), about 7 or 8 scales between supratemporal sensory canal and dorsal-fin origin (some scales missing); circumpeduncular scales 19 or 20 (20); first gill arch with 5 rudiments and 2 developed gill rakers (upper), 1 developed gill raker at angle, 6-8 (8) developed rakers, 6 or 7 (7) rudiments (lower); total rudiments and gill rakers 20–22 (22); pseudobranchial filaments 20–26 (20); vertebrae 10 + 14 = 24; last rib borne on vertebral centrum 10; last epineural on vertebral centrum 11 or 12 (11); supraneurals 3; supraneural-dorsal ray-pterygiophore-neural spine interdigitation pattern 0/0/0+2/1+1/1/1/1/1/1/2/1/1+1/1/1/1+1/1/1.

Relatively small serranid species 69–84 (69;72 when fresh) mm SL; body depth 3.4–4.1 (4.1) in SL; head length 25–32 (25) mm, 2.5–2.8 (2.8) in SL; snout length 3.7–5.6 (4.2) in HL; orbit diameter 3.1–3.4 (3.1) in HL; bony interorbital width 7.1–9.3 (8.3) in HL, upper jaw length 2.1–2.2 (2.1) in HL; caudal peduncle length 2.3–2.7 (2.3) in HL; caudal peduncle least depth 3.1–3.7 (3.1) in HL; snout to D origin length 2.7–2.8 (2.8) in SL; snout to A origin length 1.6–1.8 (1.7) in SL; snout to pelvic origin length 2.9–3.1 (3.1) in HL; length of longest (5th) D spine 1.9–2.5 (1.9) in HL; length of longest A spine 3.6–4.0 (3.6) in HL; pectoral-fin length 1.6 in HL; pelvic-spine length 2.3–2.7 (2.3) in HL; longest pelvic-ray length 1.3–1.5 (1.3) in HL; caudal-fin length 4.2–4.7 (4.3) in SL.

Holotype with mouth large, slightly oblique, posterior margin of maxilla reaching to a vertical at posterior edge of pupil; maxilla expanded posteriorly, with long, low, lateral ridge running parallel to dorsal margin; mouth superior (lower jaw protrudes slightly beyond upper); upper lip with row of tiny papillae on ventral margin, lower lip with fringe of papillae on medial half, lip thickening posteriorly on each side of jaw; upper jaw with row of enlarged canines slightly curved and directed anteriorly on each side of symphysis, narrow untoothed gap at symphysis, enlarged canines flanked mesially by a patch of small pointed teeth with inner row consisting of two large posteriorly directed fangs almost reaching vomer, narrower band of fine pointed teeth extends posteriorly along length of jaw to gape; lower jaw with row of about 8 enlarged curved fangs directed anterodorsally, flanked mesially by band of small conical teeth extending posteriorly to gape; vomer with roughly V-shaped band of 3–5 rows of sharp-tipped conical teeth, largest teeth posteriorly in innermost row; palatines with 2–4 rows of small, sharp-tipped conical teeth; tongue small, narrow, pointed. Paratypes similar to holotype except lower jaw protrudes anteriorly only slightly beyond upper jaw.

Opercle with 3 flat spines, 2 of which are prominent, dorsalmost spine slightly longer; preopercle with 40–45 (45) small spines along posterior and ventral margins; distal margin of interopercle with 10–14 (10) spines; distal margin of subopercle with 16–21 (19) spines. Posttemporal with 5–7 spines (6 spines on left side, 7 on right) at beginning of LL. Anterior nostrils positioned at middle of snout, each nostril with small rounded flap rising from posterior rim; posterior nostril an elliptical opening at anterior border of orbit.

Body with ctenoid scales; lateral line slightly arched over pectoral fin then gradually descending, ending at middle of caudal-fin base. Small cycloid scales on basal quarter of caudal and pectoral fins; no scales on dorsal, anal or pelvic fins. Head with cycloid scales above eyes, several tiny cycloid scales posteriorly on dentaries and on opercular membrane, subopercle and interopercle; no scales on maxilla or snout. Preopercle with mixture of cycloid and ctenoid scales.

Dorsal fin with middle spines longest, spines 8 and 9 shorter than 10th, segmented rays increasing in length posteriorly with rays 8 and 9 longest; anal fin with successive rays increasingly longer than preceding rays with ray 6 longest; caudal fin slightly emarginate; pectoral fin lanceolate with middle rays longest and reaching vertical from anus; pelvic fins with first segmented ray elongate, reaching anus.

Color in life (based on photo of the fresh holotype). Head pinkish with numerous yellow spots on nape, yellow streak from beneath middle of eye across cheek; underside of head, chest and abdomen white; snout pink with two side-by-side black spots above upper lip on each side; maxillaries pinkish anteriorly with posterior half white with dusky streak positioned centrally near dorsal edge; tip of lower jaw pinkish with small black spot on either side of symphysis, remainder of jaw white; yellowish orange area between eyes and on top of head, scales on top of head and on body above LL to about middle of soft dorsal fin pinkish yellow with narrow posterior black borders; scales on body below LL without black borders; four broad, irregular pink and yellow bars alternating with broader pinkish white interspaces on dorsal three-fourths of body, first bar beneath middle of spinous dorsal fin, last bar darkest in color on caudal peduncle at base of caudal fin; pectoral-fin base white, small pinkish red blotch on bases of middle pectoral rays, remainder of fin translucent; pelvic fins white with yellow stripe along middle rays; spinous dorsal fin whitish with small pink spots on bases of spines followed by yellow spots and blotches on middle of fin, distal margin dusky; soft dorsal fin translucent with yellow spots and blotches; anal fin white with six large yellow spots (three along base of fin, final three along lengths of rays 5 and 6) alternating with white interspaces of similar width, narrow yellow margin distally; caudal fin white with small pinkish white spot outlined with pink on bases of middle rays, followed by four narrow yellow bars alternating with broad white interspaces, faint yellow distally; eye with yellowish pink iris.

Color in alcohol of all three specimens uniformly cream or white with the only remaining markings being the black spots on the snout and lower jaw and black outlines on nape and scales above LL; no indication persists of pink and yellow fresh coloration.

Etymology. The species is named santosi in honor of Mudjekeewis Santos of the NFRDI-BFAR, Manila, our Philippine colleague and collaborator, without whose assistance the discovery of this colorful perchlet would not have been possible, and in recognition of his many contributions to the advancement of science in the Philippines. The common name is based on the Tagalog word pogi meaning handsome in reference to its striking fresh coloration.

Remarks. Chelidoperca santosi is distinguished from all congeners by the presence of a row of four small dark spots on the snout (two in front of each eye) and two dark spots on the chin (one on each side of the symphysis of the dentaries). It is further distinguished from C. hirundinacea by having 2.5–3.0 (versus 4) scales between the lateral line and the dorsal-fin origin, and an emarginate caudal fin with narrow yellow bands (versus asymmetrically crescent shaped with elongate yellow dorsal lobe and short red ventral lobe). Chelidoperca santosi lacks prominent dark blotches, stripes or spots on the body (one or more present in C. occipitalis , C. investigatoris , C. pleurospilus and C. hirundinacea ) and has about four irregular reddish pink bars on the body ( C. margaritifera with yellow stripe and small white spots below stripe; C. lecromi with yellow body with a row of about five short yellowish brown bars ventrally on body). Chelidoperca santosi is similar in appearance and probably most closely related to C. maculicauda , but is distinguished by having no scales anteriorly between the eyes (versus scales present anteriorly between the eyes), a white anal fin with six broad yellow spots with broad white interspaces and a narrow yellow distal border (versus 10 yellow bars/spots with narrow white interspaces and red distal border on anal fin), narrow yellow bars on the caudal fin and no dark spots (versus white spots on the ventral lobe and a small dark spot on the dorsal lobe of the caudal fin), and no dark margins on scales below lateral line (versus some scales below lateral line with dark distal margins).

Available molecular data support the morphological results. Chelidoperca santosi is resolved as a distinct genetic lineage ( Fig 2 ) from all other Chelidoperca species for which CO1 sequences are available. We could not attempt to infer a comprehensive phylogeny of all species of Chelidoperca because sequences were not available for C. hirundinacea , C. lecromi and C. margaritifera . However, the morphological differences discussed above indicate that these three species are distinctly different from C. santosi and not likely to apply.

Chelidoperca santosi is known only from the Palawan and Visayan regions of the Philippines. It has been collected by trawl from a depth of 146 m.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Chelidoperca santosi, holotype, PNM 15190, 84 mm SL, freshly collected at a fish market at Iloilo, Panay, Philippines, photographed by J. T. Williams.

FIGURE 2. Maximum-likelihood tree based on K 2 P model of available CO 1 sequences for members of the genus Chelidoperca. Scale bar refers to substitutions / site and bootstrap values are shown on nodes.