Suezichthys rosenblatti, RUSSELL, BARRY C. & WESTNEAT, MARK W., 2013

RUSSELL, BARRY C. & WESTNEAT, MARK W., 2013, A new species of Suezichthys (Teleostei: Perciformes: Labridae) from the southeastern Pacific, with a redefinition of the genus and a key to species, Zootaxa 3640 (1), pp. 88-94 : 91-93

Suezichthys rosenblatti , new species

Proposed name: spotted rainbow wrasse

( Fig. 1 )

Holotype. FMNH 120653 , male, 77.7mm TL, 66.1 mm SL, Eastern Pacific Ocean , Isla San Ambrosio, Caleta Las Moscas, 26° 20' 5" S, 79° 53' 25" W, field # IOC 97-20 , shallow rocky reef where rocks meet sand, 10–15m, rotenone, M. Westneat and M. Hale, 23 February 1997. Fig. 1A, C .

Paratypes (24 specimens). AMS I.32297-001 (ex SIO 65-629 ), 2: 45.4–57.0 mm SL, Eastern Pacific Ocean , Isla San Felix, Cathedral Rocks (26° 16' 10" S, 80° 06' 30" W), 33m, chemfish, W. Baldwin and party, 7 December 1965 . BMNH 2012.8.8.1-2, (ex SIO 65-629 ), 2: 39.1–61.2 mm SL, Eastern Pacific Ocean , Isla San Felix, Cathedral Rocks (26° 16' 10" S, 80° 06' 30" W), 33m, chemfish, W. Baldwin and party, 7 December 1965 . FMNH 109197 , 13 : 31.6–69.8mm SL, Eastern Pacific Ocean , Isla San Ambrosio, Caleta Las Moscas, 26° 20' 5" S, 79° 53' 25" W, field # IOC 97-20 , shallow rocky reef where rocks meet sand, 10–15m, rotenone, M. Westneat and M. Hale, 23 February 1997 . NTM S.17339-001, 2: 49.2–51.4 mm SL, Eastern Pacific Ocean , Isla San Felix, Cathedral Rocks (26° 16' 10" S, 80° 06' 30" W), 33m, chemfish, W. Baldwin and party, 7 December 1965 . SIO 65-629 , 3 : 47.1–53.5 mm SL, Eastern Pacific Ocean , Isla San Felix, Cathedral Rocks (26° 16' 10" S, 80° 06' 30" W), 33m, chemfish, W. Baldwin and party, 7 December 1965 . SIO 65-659 , 5 : 55.8–75.7 mm SL, Eastern Pacific Ocean , Isla Juan Fernandez, S.E. of Bacalao Point (33° 38' 20" S, 78° 47' 15" W), 26 m, chemfish, B. Walker and party, 16 December 1965 .

Diagnosis. Dorsal-fin rays IX,11; anal-fin rays III,11 (III,11 rarely 10); branched caudal-fin rays 12; pectoral fin branched rays 12–13; pelvic-fin rays I,5; lateral-line scales 26; scale rows above lateral line 1½/7½; predorsal scales 5 (4–6, rarely 3); cheek scale rows behind eye 1 (1–2); cheek scale rows below eye 2; gill rakers 17 (15–16); vertebrae 9+16, ribs ending on ninth vertebra; epineural bones ending on twelfth to fourteenth vertebra; haemal arch present on vertebrae 10–11.

Description. Dorsal-fin rays IX,11; anal-fin rays III,11 (III,11 rarely 10); branched caudal-fin rays 12; pectoral fin branched rays 12–13; pelvic-fin rays I,5; lateral-line scales 26; scale rows above lateral line 1½/7½; predorsal scales 5 (4–6, rarely 3); cheek scale rows behind eye 1 (1–2); cheek scale rows below eye 2; gill rakers 17 (15–16); branchiostegal rays 6; vertebrae 9+16, ribs ending on ninth vertebra; epineural bones ending on twelfth to fourteenth vertebra; haemal arch present on vertebrae 10–11.

Body depth 4.7 (4.5–5.1) in SL; head length 3.5 (3.4–3.9); snout length 4.7 (4.3–5.3) in head length; diameter of orbit 4.7 (4.2–5.0) in head; interorbital width 1.4 (1.2–1.4) in head; suborbital depth 2.3 (2.2–3.9) in head; dorsal-fin length 1.5 (1.5–1.6) in SL; ninth dorsal spine 1.7 (1.4–2.2) times length of first; longest dorsal ray 1.4 (1.2–1.5) times length of ninth dorsal spine; anal-fin length 2.9 (2.6–3.2) in SL; first anal spine 8.9 (5.2–10.2) in head; third anal spine 2.3 (1.3–2.9) times length of first; longest anal ray 1.4 (1.3–1.7) times length of third anal spine; pectoral-fin length 1.6 (1.4–1.6) in head; pelvic-fin length 2.2 (1.9–2.3) in head. No scaly sheath at base of dorsal and anal fins; caudal fin truncate.

Mouth terminal, small, the maxilla reaching to or just beyond a vertical through anterior margin of eye; lips moderately fleshy, a pair of slightly enlarged recurved canines in upper jaw; 10–14 progressively smaller canine teeth laterally in upper jaw, with an inner row of 4–7 small canines behind anterior most teeth; an enlarged forwardly pointing canine (rarely 2) at posterior end of upper jaw; lower jaw with 1–2 pair enlarged anterior canines, the second canine usually shorter than the first; 12–14 progressively smaller lateral teeth in lower jaw, with an inner row of 2–4 small canines behind anterior most teeth; lower pharyngeal plate broadly Y-shaped, the transverse limb with a medial posterior patch of large, blunt conical teeth and 2–3 rows of smaller conical teeth about one third to half the size of other teeth; anterior median limb of lower pharyngeal narrow, with 2–3 rows of conical teeth. Nostrils small, the anterior nostril terminating in a short membranous tube; posterior nostril without any flap or marginal ridge. Gill membranes not attached to isthmus, forming a free fold posteriorly. Preopercule entire, the free posterior margin reaching upward to or just above level of lower rim of orbit, the free lower membrane extending forward to below middle of lower rim of orbit. Opercular membrane rounded and extending posterior to pectoral base. Forehead, snout, and ventral side of head naked; cheek scales small, in 1–3 rows behind eye, and 2 rows below eye, extending forward to beneath middle of lower rim of orbit. Opercle with large scales posteriorly; anterior part of opercle and membranous opercular flap naked; subopercle naked. Body scales large, the scales on thorax about one half to three quarters the size of body scales. Lateral line complete, bent abruptly downward beneath ninth to eleventh soft dorsal rays; laterosensory canals simple unbranched, the canal pores terminal. dorsal fin length 1.5 (1.5–1.6) in SL; ninth dorsal spine 1.7 (1.4–2.2) times length of first; longest dorsal ray 1.4 (1.2–1.5) times length of ninth dorsal spine; anal fin length 2.9 (2.6–3.2) in SL; first anal spine 8.9 (5.2– 10.2) in head; third anal spine 2.3 (1.3–2.9) times length of first; longest anal ray 1.4 (1.3–1.7) times length of third anal spine; pectoral fin length 1.6 (1.4–1.6) in head; pelvic fin length 2.2 (1.9–2.3) in head. No scaly sheath at base of dorsal and anal fins; caudal fin truncate.

Colour of fresh specimens ( Fig. 1 ). TP ( Fig. 1A ) light brown ventrally and dark brown dorsally, dorsal dark area broken into 7 distinct dark blotches, the second above belly with a dark black centre; the last of these blotches forms a black spot on upper caudal peduncle that reaches dorsal edge of peduncle; brown spot in lower posterior corner of preopercle; silvery colour extending from belly to area anterior and ventral to pectoral fin and the gill cover. Head pale below, brown above, brown area more extensive on top of snout and upper lip, around ventral edge of eye and onto dorsal edge of gill cover. Iris of eye silvery and reflective. Fins clear to pale yellow-brown, a large black spot in spinous portion of dorsal fin from spine 5–8; dorsal, ventral, and posterior edges of caudal fin dark. IP ( Fig. 1B ) light brown ventrally and dark brown dorsally, dorsal half of body slightly mottled; reddish blotch on posterior portion of some scales; area anterior and ventral to pectoral fin and gill cover silver; brown spot in lower posterior corner of preopercle; large anteroposteriorly lengthened black spot on upper caudal peduncle, not quite reaching dorsal edge of peduncle. Head pale below, brown above, brown area extending from top of snout and upper lip through eye just below centre and onto dorsal edge of gill cover. Iris of eye silvery and reflective. Fins clear to pale yellow-brown, a few dusky dark markings extending onto dorsal fin in anterior half.

Colour in alcohol. TP ( Fig. 1C ) mostly brown; mottled and darker above and lighter below, dark upper half concentrated into black spot on upper scaly base of caudal peduncle; black blotch above belly; large black spot in spinous portion of dorsal fin from spine 5–8; edges of caudal fin faintly pigmented. IP ( Fig. 1D ) mostly brown; mottled and darker above with 5–6 patches of more darkly pigmented scales on midbody; lighter brown on lower body; black spot, about same diameter as eye, on upper scaly base of caudal peduncle.

Distribution. Specimens in the SIO collection were collected from Isla Juan Fernandez and Isla San Felix. Other specimens in the FMNH were collected from Isla San Ambrosio of the Desventuradas group. Suezichthys rosenblatti is the only species of Suezichthys from the eastern Pacific and it represents a considerable range extension for the genus.

Etymology. Named from honour of Dr Richard Rosenblatt for his contributions to Eastern Pacific ichthyology and who drew the attention of the first author to the existence of this new species in the SIO collection.

Comparisons. Suezichthys rosenblatti is distinct from all other species of the genus in having 11 anal fin soft rays. It falls in the group of species that have 1½ scale rows above the lateral line and lack a scaly sheath at the base of the dorsal and anal fins ( S. aylingi , S. caudovittatus , S. devisi , S. gracilis and S. soelae ). Unlike other members of this group, however, S. rosenblatti has haemal arches on vertebrae 10–11 (versus haemal arch present only on vertebra 10).

Remarks. This species inhabits mixed rock and sand bottoms in depths of 10– 33 m. Male (TP) specimens ranged in size from 53.5–58.0 mm SL; females (IP) from 45.4–75.7 mm SL (3 females 45.4–57.0 mm ripe).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Suezichthys rosenblatti, the spotted rainbow wrasse. A. Holotype: FMNH 120653, male colouration when fresh. B. Suezichthys rosenblatti, FMNH 109197, fresh colouration of female from the paratype series. C. Holotype: FMNH 120653, same specimen as in A, preserved colouration. D. Suezichthys rosenblatti, FMNH 109197, same specimen as in B, preserved colouration.