Upeneus japonicus (Houttuyn, 1782)

Uiblein, Franz & Lisher, Mark, 2013, A new goatfish of the genus Upeneus (Mullidae) from Angoche, northern Mozambique, Zootaxa 3717 (1), pp. 85-95 : 92-93

Key to WIO species of japonicus group

This key was prepared using primarily the data of this study supported by counts by Yamashita et al. (2011) for Upeneus pori .

1a. Pectoral-fin rays 12–14; total gill rakers 23–25; first dorsal-fin height 4.1–5.1 times in SL; body red dorsally, preserved fish pale brown, not darker dorsally (Indo-Pacific)....................................................... U. guttatus

1b. Pectoral-fin rays 14(15); total gill rakers 25–29; first dorsal-fin height 4.5–5.3 times in SL; body grey, reddish-brown or red dorsally, preserved fish darker dorsally or pale brown......................................................... 2

2a. Total gill rakers 29; caudal-peduncle depth 11 times in SL; snout length 9.0–10.0 times in SL, shorter than postorbital length (7.6–8.0) (Angoche, Mozambique)............................................................ U. saiab n. sp.

2b. Total gill rakers 25–27(28); caudal-peduncle depth 10–11 times in SL; snout length 8.2–9.5 times in SL, subequal to postorbital length (8.2–9.2).................................................................................. 3

3a. Anal-fin base length 7.5–9.8 and anal-fin height 5.8–6.4 times in SL; body depth at anal fin origin 4.6–5.1 times in SL; lower caudal-fin lobe with 5–9 grey or reddish brown bars along ventral margin; preserved fish darker dorsally (Red Sea to Oman, Madagascar, South Africa, Eastern Mediterranean)..................................................... U. pori

3b. Anal-fin base length 9.7–10 and anal-fin height 6.5–7.0 times in SL; body depth at anal fin origin 5.4–5.5 times in SL, lower caudal-fin lobe with a red stripe and no bars in fresh fish; preserved fish pale brown ( Seychelles Bank)..... U. seychellensis