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Type: Article
Published: 2015-09-29
Page range: 529–540
Abstract views: 44
PDF downloaded: 3

Redescription of the Indo-West Pacific scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae), Neomerinthe erostris (Alcock 1896), a senior synonym of Scorpaena gibbifrons Fowler 1938, N. rotunda Chen 1981, and N. bathyperimensis Zajonz & Klausewitz 2002

The Kagoshima University Museum, 1-21-30 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
UMR 7208, Département “Milieux et peuplements aquatiques”, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 43 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
UMR 7209, Département "Écologie et gestion de la biodiversité", Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 55 rue Buffon, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
Marine Fish Section, Zoological Survey of India, FPS Building, 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 016, India
Pisces synonymy taxonomy morphology description lectotype designation.

Abstract

The Indo-West Pacific species, Neomerinthe erostris (Alcock 1896), originally described as Scorpaena erostris, is redescribed as a senior synonym of Scorpaena gibbifrons Fowler 1938, N. rotunda Chen 1981, and N. bathyperimensis Zajonz & Klausewitz 2002. Although the latter three nominal species have been regarded as valid species and N. erostris has not been reported since 1898, examinations of type specimens of the four nominal species revealed that they represent a single species. A lectotype of Scorpaena erostris is herein designated. Neomerinthe erostris is characterized by having a distinct longitudinal ridge on the lateral surface of the maxilla and a strongly rounded dorsal profile of the head.