Stolephorus waitei

Hata, Harutaka & Motomura, Hiroyuki, 2021, Two new species of Stolephorus (Teleostei: Clupeiformes: Engraulidae) from the western Pacific, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 69, pp. 109-117 : 116

Key to species previously identified as Stolephorus waitei

“Spotty-face Anchovy” by Whitehead et al. (1988)

Stolephorus waitei sensu Whitehead et al. (1988) was diagnosed by a long maxilla, extending posteriorly at least beyond the preopercle anterior margin; dusky spots on the suborbital area (in adults), snout, and lower-jaw tip; and fewer gill rakers on the lower limb of first gill arch (25 or fewer). The included species can be separated as follows [data for S. babarani , S. bataviensis , S. baweanensis , and S. waitei based on Hata et al. (2019, 2020a)]:

1. Maxilla short (<19.2% SL), not reaching preopercle posterior margin; a few spots on suborbital area and lower-jaw tip; pseudobranchial filaments 28 or more...................................... ............................................. S. waitei (Queensland, Australia)

– Maxilla long (> 19.9% SL), just short of or extending beyond preopercle posterior margin; numerous spots on suborbital area (adults) and lower-jaw tip; pseudobranchial filaments 25 or fewer....................................................................................2

2. Posterior tip of depressed pelvic fin beyond vertical through dorsal-fin origin .......................................................................3

– Posterior tip of depressed pelvic fin not reaching vertical through dorsal-fin origin .......................................................................4

3. Gill rakers on first and second gill arches 14–17 + 19–22 = 33–38 and 9–12 + 17–20 = 27–32, respectively; snout short (3.7–4.7% SL); pectoral fin short (14.7–16.4% SL)................ ....................................... S. bataviensis ( Taiwan to Indonesia)

– Gill rakers on first and second gill arches 16–18 + 21–23 = 38–41 and 11–13 + 19–22 = 30–34, respectively; snout long (4.8–5.4% SL); pectoral fin long (16.5–18.1% SL)................. ............................ S. concursus , new species ( Tonga and Fiji)

4. Gill rakers on first gill arch 40 or more; pectoral and pelvic fins long (> 16.6% SL and 9.5% SL, respectively)................. ...... S. celsior , new species (Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines)

– Gill rakers on first gill arch 41 or less; pectoral and pelvic fins short (<16.8% SL and 9.4% SL, respectively) .....................5

5. Gill rakers on first and second gill arches 14–17 + 19–22 = 33–38 and 9–12 + 17–21 = 26–32, respectively; snout long (3.8–4.6% SL) ........................................................................... .................. S. baweanensis ( India to Vietnam and Indonesia)

– Gill rakers on first and second gill arches 16–18 + 21–23 = 38–41 and 10–13 + 18–21 = 30–33, respectively; snout short (3.6–3.9% SL) ...................... S. babarani (Panay, Philippines)