Johnius macrorhynus ( Lal Mohan, 1976 )

Hanafi, Norhafiz, Chen, Meng-Hsien, Chang, Chih-Wei, Chao, Ning Labbish & Seah, Ying Giat, 2024, Taxonomic review of the genus Johnius (Perciformes: Sciaenidae) from East Malaysian waters, with comments on newly recorded Johnius species, Zootaxa 5550 (1), pp. 85-117 : 105

Johnius macrorhynus ( Lal Mohan, 1976)

(Common name: Big-nose croaker)

( Fig. 11 , Table 7 )

Johnieops macrorhynus Lal Mohan, 1976: 20 (type locality: Mumbai, India) Holotype: FMRI 189 ; Paratypes: FMRI 190 /1-19 (19).

Johnius macrorhynus ( Mohan, 1976) : Sasaki, 2000: 621; Sasaki, 2001: 3150; Mohamad Faisal, 2009: 98; Atan et al. 2010: 195; Matsunuma et al., 2011: 139; Kimura et al., 2015: 63.

Johnius elongatus non of Mohan, 1976: Atan et al., 2010: 195

Material examined. Non-types: NMMB-P37091 (6, 147.41 to 172.69 mm SL), Sibu , Sarawak, Malaysia, 13 March 2017 ; NMMB-P26507 (3, 127.64 to 157.48 mm SL), Kuala Kedah, Kedah, Malaysia, 19 May 2014 ; NMMBP34745 (7, 147.48 to 164.82 mm SL), Tawau , Sabah, Malaysia, 23 February 2017 ; NMMB-P21544 (212.17 mm SL), Tanjung Piandang , Perak, Malaysia, 3 June 2014 ; NMMB-P34746 (9, 133.95 to 188.67 mm SL), Betangor , Sarawak, Malaysia, 14 March 2017 ; NMMB-P21548 (5, 126.96 to 170.6 mm SL) , NMMB-P26520 (3, 138.5 to 160.28 mm SL), Pantai Remis , Perak, Malaysia, 4 June 2014 ; NMMB-P31393 (11, 96 to 177 mm SL), Muar , Johor, Malaysia, 19 March 2019 ; NMMB-P21518 (4, 142.76 to 163.88 mm SL), Tanjung Gemok , Pahang, Malaysia, 10 July 2014 ; NMMB-P34747 (137.25 mm SL), Kuching , Sarawak, Malaysia, 17 March 2017 ; NMMB-P26502 (3, 144.9 to 175.51 mm SL) , NMMB-P21558 (155.76 mm SL), Endau , Johor, Malaysia, 11 June 2014 ; NMMB-P34744 (115.97 mm SL), Bako , Sarawak, Malaysia, 17 March 2017 .

Diagnosis. A species of Johnius with the following combination of characters: snout bluntly rounded, slightly projecting in front of upper jaw; mouth small, inferior; lower jaw with a band of villiform teeth and an inner, short row of molariform teeth posteriorly; gill rakers very short, stumpy, about 1/4 length of gill filaments at angle of arch, 7 to 8 on lower limb of first gill arch; second spine rather short, slender, 15 to 28% of head length; and scales moderately large, 4 to 5 scale rows above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin, 7 to 9 scale rows below lateral line to origin of anal fin ( Hanafi et al., 2022).

Distribution. Indo-West Pacific; Pakistan and India east to South China Sea.

Remarks. Johnius macrorhynus can be distinguished from sympatric congener species, J. carouna and J. sasakii , by the second anal spine rather short and slender (vs long, stiff, in carouna and short, stiff in sasakii ) and the gill raker very short, stumpy and lower count, 7 to 8 (vs short, stiff 10 to 12 in carouna and short, stiff, 8 to 10 in sasakii ). Johnius macrorhynus also is a common species, and abundant especially concentrated in Sarawak states. It was collected at several sites of the Goebilt, Sarikei, and Sibu.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Photographs of the comparative materials. Johnius macrorhynus NMMB-P 37091, 148 mm SL, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia, 13 March 2017.