Corresponding author: Joshua M. Copus (
Academic editor: John Friel
The genus
Type specimens of the new species,
Tissue samples were obtained from the two individuals of
Dorsal rays X,16, the first two soft rays simple; anal rays III,7, the first spine very small and difficult to detect; first ray simple; pectoral rays 21 (19), the upper most and lower most rays simple; branched pelvic rays I,5; branched caudal rays 13; simple upper and lower segmented caudal rays 4; upper and lower procurrent caudal rays 13; lateral line scales 63 (64); scales above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 5; scales below lateral line to origin of anal fin 12; gill rakers 8+19 (8 +18) (Table
Body moderately elongate, the depth 3.86 (4.6) in SL, and compressed, the width 1.83 (1.25) in BD; head length 3.54 (3.41) in SL; snout short and bluntly rounded, 4.0 (3.86) in HL. Orbit diameter 3.43 (3.8) in HL; the least width of interorbital space 3.0 (3.38) in HL; caudal peduncle depth 2.4 (2.45) in HL; caudal peduncle length about twice its depth, 1.09 (1.23) in HL. Mouth terminal and oblique, the maxilla reaching posterior to rear edge of pupil but not posterior to rear edge of orbit; the upper jaw length 1.6 (1.93) in HL; corners of maxilla rounded, its greatest depth about equal to pupil diameter. Opercle with 2 flat spines, the lower acute, in line with center of eye and opercular flap, the upper spine at dorsal end of gill opening poorly developed. Lateral line only slightly arched above pectoral fin, gradually descending below soft portion of dorsal fin, straightening toward the peduncular region; scales on body ctenoid; head scaled except snout; dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins naked; caudal fin with small scales extending about three-fourths distance to posterior margin; basal fifth of pectorals with small scales. Origin of dorsal fin above eighth lateral-line scale; first dorsal spine short, 8.0 (9.0) in head; fourth dorsal spine longest, 2.4 (2.45) in HL; longest dorsal soft ray 2.4 (2.45) in HL; origin of anal fin below base of sixth dorsal soft ray; first anal spine very short, about 12(13.5) in HL; second anal spine 6.0 (6.75) in HL; first anal soft ray very slender and only partly segmented, 2.4 (2.7) in HL; longest anal soft ray 2.0 (2.45) in HL; caudal fin forked, with filamentous rays, the fin length 4.05 (3.83) in SL, the caudal concavity 8.5 (8.36) in SL; middle pectoral rays longest, 3.86 (4.38) in SL; origin of pelvic fins below lower base of pectorals; second pelvic soft ray longest, 5.67 (6.57) in SL (Table
Color of holotype in life: head excluding operculum predominately yellow (many scales with yellow margins and pink centers), yellow extending posteriorly on upper half of body from a line starting at approximately the tip of the opercular flap and top of pectoral fins to the eighth dorsal ray, fading to bright pink posteriorly. Operculum to lower half of body salmon pink. Pectoral and pelvic fins pale. Dorsal fins yellow with bases of rear dorsal rays pink. Anal fin rays yellow with pale membranes. Upper and lower base of caudal fin pink, extending posteriorly to approximately halfway to the tips; center of base of caudal fin white, fading to pale; posterior half of caudal fin yellow. Lower base of caudal peduncle with yellow band (Fig.
Color of holotype in alcohol: Pale, all fins colorless except the caudal which has purple spots on the base of each of the upper and lower segments, the upper extending anteriorly, dorsally on the caudal peduncle.
Dorsal rays X,16; anal rays III,7; pectoral rays 19-21; lateral line scales 63-54; gill rakers 8+18-19; Body moderately elongate, the depth 3.86-4.6 in SL; head length 3.41-3.54 in SL; snout 3.86-4.0 in HL; caudal fin forked, with filamentous rays, caudal concavity 8.36-8.5 in SL; pectoral fins 3.86-4.38 in SL; pelvic fins 5.67-6.54 in SL.
Named
Type specimens of
This research was funded in part by the Seaver Institute, Bishop Museum, and the Association for Marine Exploration. We are especially grateful to the staff at NIHCO Marine Park for logistical support in the field. We thank David F. Pence and the UH Diving safety staff for their support and expertise and Arnold Y. Suzumoto for curatorial support. We would also like to thank Robert Whitton, Brian Greene, Richard Coleman, Brian Bowen, John E. Randall, Sonya Rowley, John Earle, and Garrett Johnston for their help on various aspects of this work. We would also like to thank the reviewers for their invaluable comments.
Holotype of
Luzonichthys earlei, from the Hawaiian Islands. Photo: John E. Randall.
Counts of dorsal rays, anal rays, pectoral rays, lateral line scales, and gill rakers of the species of
Dorsal rays | Anal rays | Pectoral rays | Lateral line scales | Gill rakers | |
|
X,16 | III,7 | 19-21 | 63-64 | 8+18-19 |
|
X,16-17 | III,7 | 19-21 | 59-68 | 6-9+19-22 |
|
X,16 | II,9 | 21-22 | 70-76 | 7-8+21-23 |
|
X,16 | III,7 | 19 | 56-60 | 7+19 |
|
X,15-17 | III,7 | 17-21 | 51-59 | 7-10+19-22 |
|
X,16 | III,7 | 19-22 | 65-74 | 7-9+20-23 |
|
X,16 | II,9 | 21-23 | 70-78 | 7-8+21-22 |
Proportional measurements of type specimens of
|
|
|
Standard length (mm) | 42.5 | 46 |
Body depth | 25.9 | 21.7 |
Body width | 14.1 | 17.4 |
Head length | 28.2 | 29.3 |
Snout length | 7.1 | 7.6 |
Orbit diameter | 8.2 | 8.7 |
Interorbital width | 9.4 | 8.7 |
Upper jaw length | 17.6 | 15.2 |
Caudal peduncle depth | 11.8 | 12.0 |
Caudal peduncle length | 25.9 | 23.9 |
Predorsal length | 35.3 | 34.8 |
Preanal length | 62.4 | 70.0 |
Prepelvic length | 33.0 | 32.6 |
First dorsal spine | 3.5 | 3.3 |
Second dorsal spine | 9.4 | 8.7 |
Third dorsal spine | 10.6 | 8.7 |
Forth dorsal spine | 11.8 | 12.0 |
Longest dorsal spine | 11.8 | 12.0 |
First anal spine | 2.4 | 2.2 |
Second anal spine | 4.7 | 4.3 |
First anal ray | 11.8 | 10.9 |
Longest anal ray | 14.1 | 12.0 |
Caudal fin length | 24.7 | 26.1 |
Caudal concavity | 11.8 | 12.0 |
Pectoral fin length | 25.9 | 22.8 |
Pelvic spine length | 9.4 | 7.6 |
Pelvic fin length | 17.6 | 15.2 |
Comparison of selected morphological characters for species of
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in SL | 3.9-4.6 | 3.6-4.1 | 4.1-4.4 | 3.7-4.0 | 3.3-3.8 | 4.15-5.0 | 5.2-5.4 |
|
in SL | 3.4-3.5 | 3.15-3.4 | 3.5-3.7 | 3.3-3.5 | 3.0-3.6 | 3.4-3.8 | 3.4-3.5 |
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in HL | 3.9-4.0 | 3.9-4.3 | 4.0-4.3 | 4.2-4.4 | 3.7-4.1 | 4.2-4.8 | 4.3-4.6 |
|
in HL | 3.4 | 3.1-3.9 | 4.1-4.4 | 3.0-3.5 | 3.5-3.9 | 3.2-3.6 | 2.7-3.3 |
|
in HL | 2.4-2.5 | 2.6-2.9 | 2.5-2.7 | 1.5 | 2.3-2.6 | 2.5-2.9 | 2.8-2.9 |
|
in SL | 8.4-8.5 | 6.1-7.3 | 6.0-6.8 | 5.1-5.5 | 4.0-5.6 | 5.2-9.0 | 6.7-8.3 |
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in HL | 2.4-2.5 | 2.1-2.6 | 2.4-2.8 | 2.2-2.4 | 2.2-2.6 | 2.0-2.6 | 2.2-2.5 |
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in SL | 3.9-4.4 | 3.7-4.0 | 4.1-4.7 | 3.6-3.7 | 3.2-3.5 | 3.7-4.4 | 4.4-4.7 |
|
in SL | 5.7-6.6 | 4.4-5.2 | 5.0-5.8 | 4.6-4.9 | 3.9-4.7 | 4.6-6.0 | 4.8-5.8 |