Apogon singapurensis Bleeker, 1860

Russell, Barry C., Fraser, Thomas H. & Larson, Helen K., 2010, Castelnau’S Collection Of Singapore Fishes Described By Pieter Bleeker, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 58 (1), pp. 93-102 : 95-97

Apogon singapurensis Bleeker, 1860

The painting of Apogon singapurensis, No. 208 (Fig. 9), is of an Apogon , sensu lato, with at least six first dorsal spines. Cardinalfish without stripes in the dorsal and anal fins, with reddish and golden or yellowish stripes and a medium-sized blackish peduncle spot include Apogon cavitensis and Apogon chrysotaenia . None of these species has been well-studied. Kuiter & Kozawa (2001) suggest that there are three species in this grouping identified as the Apogon hartzfeldii complex. Bleeker (1876) thought this species had some similarity to Apogon wassinki . However, the presence of the blackish caudal peduncle spot eliminates any candidate species in the Apogon cyanosoma complex.

Two Castelnau specimens, both dried mounts from Singapore, are listed in the Catalogue of the ZMUL as 2378a, 2378b, 72–75 mm SL or about 90 mm TL ( Fig. 10, 11 ) as Apogon singapurensis . These specimens have VIII-I, 9 in the dorsal fins, II,8 for the anal fin and 13–14 fin rays in the pectoral fin. The basicaudal spot was round, relatively large and blackish, consistent with Apogon endekataenia Bleeker, 1852b . The eighth dorsal spine was probably hidden under the skin in life. No other dark stripes or other darkish marks were present on these specimens.

If either or both dried specimens represent the material that Castelnau used for his painting, then the painting may be a poor representation of Apogon endekataenia . The darkish stripes on these specimens of Apogon endekataenia are not as intensely black as the basicaudal spot in life (see Kuiter & Kozawa, 2001: 20, Figs. A, B) or in preservation (Fraser, Figs. 1–9. Castlenau’s paintings numbers 93, 342, 137, 67, 149, 507, 574, 575 and 208, respectively.

Notes:

1 The publication dates of Bleeker (1860a-c) are problematical. These papers appeared in the 1859-1860 volume of “Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indie” (vol. 20). As Kottelat (2000) has pointed out, the publication pattern of this journal was somewhat irregular, with two or three volumes appearing every year between 1855 and 1860. Volume 17 is dated 1858–59, volumes 18 and 19 as 1859, volume 21 as 1860 and volume 22 as 1861 (The decrease in publication rate after 1860 is apparently linked with Bleeker’s departure from Batavia in September 1860) ( Kottelat, 2000). Volume 20 was distributed as a single issue and as the last paper was dated December 1859 (date of writing), it seems difficult (if not impossible) that it could have appeared in 1859 ( Kottelat, 2000), and we agree with Kottelat that the actual date of publication was most likely early in 1860.

2 Although Bleeker dated most of his publications (date of writing), a few ( Bleeker, 1860a, b, d and e) were not dated. In a footnote, however, Bleeker (1861b: 29) provides the dates for them indicated here, presumably the dates upon which they were completed and submitted for publication.

1974: Fig. 1). The alternating stripes may have changed colours post-mortem and may have been lost in preservation. The reddish and yellowish markings in the post-mortem watercolour would certainly be lost in preservation.

We regard the Apogon hartzfeldii complex as the most likely candidate grouping for the painting. Apogon cavitensis Jordan & Seale, 1907, is known from Singapore and the painting may represent this species in the absence of the actual specimen(s). If so, then Bleeker’s name is not available because singapurensis (nomen oblitum) has not been consistently used as a valid name since its description and the clear identity of cavitensis (nomen protectum) to the present in literature (see Eschmeyer et al., 2009, for a partial list), books and electronic media. We regard Apogon endekataenia as the most likely name for the dried specimens (ZMUL 2378a-b) based on the size of the basicaudal spot. We have no evidence that Castelnau used, if at all, one or both specimens as the basis for the painting. The best course of action is to treat Apogon singapurensis as a junior synonym of Apogon endekataenia because of Castelnau’s dried material from Singapore.

Figures

Figs. 10–17. Figures 10, 11: dried mounted specimens in the collection of the Zoological Museum of the University of Liège, Beligium (ZMUL), catalogue numbers 2378a and 2378b. Figures 12–17: Castlenau’s paintings, numbers 163, 171, 482, 483, 625 and 193, respectively.