Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 2203 No. 1: 19 Aug. 2009
Type: Articles
Published: 2009-08-19
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2203.1.4
Page range: 49–58
Abstract views: 44
PDF downloaded: 32

A new species of tonguefish (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae) from Taiwanese waters

Laboratory of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nankang, 11529 Taipei, Taiwan Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, No. 2, Peining Rd., 20224 Keelung, Taiwan
National Systematics Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, National Museum of Natural History, WC–57, MRC–153, Washington, DC 20013–7012
Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, No. 2, Peining Rd., 20224 Keelung, Taiwan
Fish Symphurus flatfish deep waters systematics Pepperdot tonguefish

Abstract

Symphurus multimaculatus new species, described from nine specimens captured in deep waters off Taiwan, is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: predominant 1–2–2–2–2 pattern of interdigitation of dorsal pterygiophores and neural spines, 14 caudal-fin rays, 92–94 dorsal-fin rays, 79–82 anal-fin rays, 9 abdominal and 50–51 total vertebrae, 5 hypurals, deep body (28.6–35.1 % SL), small scales (102–108 scales in longitudinal series, 45–48 scales in transverse row), blackish-brown ocular-side opercle, bluish-black blind-side opercle, uniformly reddish-brown to dark-brown ocular-side background pigmentation with some specimens also having 5–7 mostly complete crossbands, and uniformly white to light-yellow blind side with dense patches of blackish-brown chromatophores predominantly covering pterygiophore regions of the dorsal and anal fins. Symphurus multimaculatus were retrieved from commercial catches of fishing trawlers landed at three regional fish ports operating in deep waters off northeastern and southwestern Taiwan. The only information associated with these specimens is the general region of capture based on where fishing trawlers operate. Data on relative abundance, depth of capture, geographic distribution, and microhabitat conditions where this species is captured are unavailable at this time.

References

  1. Alcock, A.W. (1889) XVI. Natural history notes from H.M. Indian Marine Survey Steamer Investigator, Commander Alfred Carpenter, R.N., D.S.O., commanding. No. 10. List of the Pleuronectidae obtained in the Bay of Bengal in 1888 and 1889, with descriptions of new and rare species. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 58(Pt. II, No. 3), 279–295.

    Alcock, A.W. (1891) Class Pisces. In: II. –Natural history notes from H. M. Indian marine survey steamer ‘Investigator,’ Commander R. F. Hoskyn, R. N., commanding. Series II., No. 1. On the results of deep-sea dredging during the season 1890–91. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 6), 8, 125–126.

    Alcock, A.W. (1894) Natural history notes from H.M. Indian Marine Survey Steamer Investigator, Commander C.F. Oldham, R.N., commanding. Series II., No. 11. An account of a recent collection of bathybial fishes from the Bay of Bengal and from the Laccadive Sea. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 63(Part II, No. 2), 115–137.

    Alcock, A.W. (1899) A descriptive catalogue of the Indian deep-sea fishes in the Indian Museum, collected by the R.I.M.S. Investigator. Government Printing, Calcutta, 220 pp.

    Bleeker, P. (1879) Énumerátion des espèces de poissons actuellement connues du Japon et description de trois espèces inédites. Verslagen en Mededeelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen. Afdeling Natuurkunde, 18, 1–33.

    Chabanaud, P. (1954) Notules ichthyologiques (suite). Notule 46. Description d’un nouveau Symphurus de la côte sud de l’Arabie. Bulletin du Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle Paris (2nd Séries), 26, 464–467.

    Chabanaud, P. (1955a) Revision des Symphurus du Siboga. Beaufortia, 5(46), 43–45.

    Chabanaud, P. (1955b) Flatfishes of the genus Symphurus from the U.S.S. “Albatross” Expedition to the Philippines, 1907–1910. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 45(1), 30–32.

    Chabanaud, P. (1955c) Sur cinq espéces du genre Symphurus, don’t trois sont inèdites. Bulletin du Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle Paris (2nd Séries), 27, 368–370.

    Chabanaud, P. (1956) Les Symphurus marbrés du complexe Indo-Pacifique tropical. Archives du Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle Paris (7th Séries), 4, 79–100.

    Chapleau, F. (1988) Comparative osteology and intergeneric relationships of the tongue soles (Pisces; Pleuronectiformes; Cynoglossidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 66, 1214–1232.

    Chen, J.T.F. & Weng, H.T.C. (1965) A review of the flatfishes of Taiwan. Biological Bulletin Tunghai University Ichthyology Series (No. 5), 25&27, 1–103.

    Fowler, H.W. (1934) Descriptions of new fishes obtained 1907 to 1910, chiefly in the Philippine Islands and adjacent seas. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 85, 233–367

    Gilbert, C.H. (1905) II. The deep-sea fishes of Hawaiian Islands. In: The Aquatic Resources of the Hawaiian Islands. Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, 23, 577–713.

    Heemstra, P.C. (1986) Family Cynoglossidae. In: Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (Eds.), Smiths' Sea Fishes, 1st ed. Southern Book Publishers, Johannesburg, pp. 865–868.

    Krabbenhoft, T.J. & Munroe, T.A. (2003) Symphurus bathyspilus: a new cynoglossid flatfish (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae) from deepwaters of the Indo-West Pacific. Copeia, 2003(4), 810–817.

    Lee, M.-Y., Shao, K.-T. & Chen, H.-M. (2009) A new species of deep-water tonguefish Genus Symphurus (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae) from Taiwan. Copeia, 2009(2), 342–347.

    Munroe, T.A. (1992) Interdigitation pattern of dorsal-fin pterygiophores and neural spines, an important diagnostic character for symphurine tonguefishes (Symphurus: Cynoglossidae: Pleuronectiformes). Bulletin of Marine Science, 50(3), 357–403.

    Munroe, T.A. (1998) Systematics and ecology of tonguefishes of the genus Symphurus (Cynoglossidae: Pleuronectiformes) from the western Atlantic Ocean. Fishery Bulletin, 96(1), 1–182.

    Munroe, T.A. (2006) New western Indian Ocean tonguefish (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae, Symphurus). Copeia, 2006(2), 230–234.

    Munroe, T. A. & Amaoka, K. (1998) Symphurus hondoensis Hubbs, 1915, a valid species of Western Pacific tonguefish (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae). Ichthyological Research, 45(4), 385–391.

    Munroe, T.A. & Mahadeva, M.N. (1989) Symphurus callopterus (Cynoglossidae, Pleuronectiformes), a new deepwater tonguefish from the eastern Pacific. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 102(2), 458–467.

    Munroe, T.A. & Marsh, B.N. (1997) Taxonomic status of three nominal species of Indo-Pacific symphurine tonguefishes (Symphurus: Cynoglossidae: Pleuronectiformes). Ichthyological Research, 44(2), 189–200.

    Munroe, T.A. & Hashimoto, J. (2008) A new Western Pacific Tonguefish (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae): The first pleuronectiform discovered at active hydrothermal vents. Zootaxa, 1839, 43–59.

    Norman, J.R. (1928) The flatfishes (Heterosomata) of India, with a list of the specimens in the Indian Museum. Part II. Records of the Indian Museum (Calcutta), 30 (Pt. 2), 173–215.

    Ochiai, A. (1963) Fauna Japonica. Soleina (Pisces). Biogeographical Society of Japan. Tokyo, 114 pp.

    Shen, S.-C. (1993) Pleuronectiformes, In: Shen, S.-C., Lee, S.-C., Shao, K.-T., Mok, H.-C., Chen, C.-H., Chen, C.-C., & Tzeng, C.-S. (Eds.), Fishes of Taiwan. National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. pp. 565–585.

    Weber, M. & Beaufort, L.F.D. (1929) The fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. V. Anacanthini, Allotriognathi, Heterostomata, Berycomorphi, Percomorphi: families Kuhliidae, Apogonidae, Plesiopidae, Pseudoplesiopidae, Priacanthidae, Centropomidae. E. J. Brill Ltd, Leiden. The Fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago, 5, xiv, 458 pp.