Grammoplites, Fowler, 1904

Knapp, Leslie W. & Imamura, Hisashi, 2014, Grammoplites vittatus (Valenciennes), (Scorpaeniformes, Platycephalidae), removed from synonymy with Grammoplites scaber (Linnaeus), Zootaxa 3846 (3), pp. 447-450 : 450

Key to the Species of Grammoplites

1a Uppermost preopercular spine not reaching opercular margin; all LL scales bearing a spine; no discrete black blotch at rear of first dorsal fin; anal fin rays 12 ..................................................................................................................... 2

1b Uppermost preopercular spine reaching to or past opercular margin; posterior LL scales may not bear spines; rear of first dorsal fin with prominent black blotch; anal-fin rays 13................................................................... G. suppositus

2a Total GR count usually 6; dorsum brown with 3–4 darker bands; anal fin dusky, often with dark ray tips ................ 3

2b Total GR count 7–8; dorsum gray or light tan with 5–6 indistinct bands; anal fin whitish........................... G. vittatus

3a Interorbital width 9.8–13.1 % of HL; caudal fin usually with broad dark band at rear edge .......................... G. scaber

3b Interorbital width 6.4–8.4 % of HL; caudal fin yellowish .. ............................................................................ G. knappi

Remarks. Grammoplites suppositus (Troschel, 1840) is found from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf and the Bay of Bengal. The range of G. vittatus appears to be restricted to the Persian Gulf and the northern Arabian Sea. Grammoplites scaber is more widely distributed, from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Thailand and Indonesia. Grammoplites knappi was reported by Imamura and Amaoka (1994) from the Gulf of Thailand, Hainan Island, China. and from off Sarawak, Borneo. Additional collecting will hopefully determine more exact range limits for these species.