Abstract
Scolopsis meridiana n. sp., described from 30 specimens collected from northern Australia, is closely related to S. taenioptera, both species having a dorsal scaled area on the head extending anteriorly to between the anterior margin of the eye and anterior nostril, the upper part of the pectoral-fin base with a reddish blotch when fresh, and lacking a small antrorse spine below the eye. However, the new species is distinguished from the latter by having two bands across the snout dorsum (vs. one band in S. taenioptera), 18–20 diagonal lines on the lateral body surface below the lateral line (diagonal lines absent), the posterior nostril horizontally elongated (vertically elongated), a deep caudal-peduncle and short pre-dorsal-fin length. Scolopsis meridiana is distributed in northern Australia, whereas S. taenioptera occurs in Southeast Asia. Two geographic populations of S. taenioptera (Philippines and remaining Southeast Asian region) are recognized following morphological and genetic analyses.
References
Akazaki, M. (1962) Studies on the spariform fishes: anatomy, phylogeny, ecology and taxonomy. Misaki Marine Biological Institute, Kyoto University, Special Report, 1, 1–368.
Allen, G.R., Cross, N.J. & Allen, C.J. (2006) Nemipteridae. In: Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (Eds.), Zoological catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35, fishes part 2. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, pp. 1241–1250.
Cuvier, G. (1814) Observations et recherches critiques sur différens poissons de la Méditerranée et, à leur occasion, sur des poissons des autres mers plus ou moins liés avec eux. [In a report by A. D. = A. G. Desmarest.] Bulletin des Sciences, par la Société Philomathique de Paris [Sér. 3], 1, 80–92.
Cuvier, G. & Valenciennes, A. (1830) Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome cinquième. F. G. Levrault, Paris, xxviii + 499 + 4 pp., pls. 100–140.
Farivar, S., Jalil-Piran, Z., Zarei, F. & Hosseinzadeh Sahafi, H. (2017) Intraspecific phylogeography of the Japanese threadfin bream, Nemipterus japonicus (Perciformes: Nemipteridae), from the Persian Gulf and Indo-West Pacific: a preliminary study based on mitochondrial DNA sequence. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 16, 587–604.
Hung, K.-W., Russell, B.C. & Chen, W.-J. (2017) Molecular systematics of threadfin breams and relatives (Teleostei, Nemipteridae). Zoologica Scripta, 46 (5), 536–551.
https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12237
Kakioka, R., Muto, N., Takeshima, H., Gaje, A.C., Cruz, R.S., Alama, U.B., Guzman, A.M.T., Traifalgar, R.F.M., Babaran, R.P., Muda, O., Arshaad, W.M., Arnupapboon, S., Phuttharaksa, K., Nguyen, Q.V., Pham, T.T., Motomura, H., Muto, F. & Ishikawa, S. (2017) Cryptic genetic divergence in Scolopsis taenioptera (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) in the western Pacific Ocean. Ichthyological Resesearch, 65 (1), 92–100.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-017-0596-1
Mishra, S.S., Biswas, S., Russell, B.C., Satpathy, K.K. & Selvanayagam, M. (2013) A new species of the genus Scolopsis Cuvier, 1830 (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) from southern India and Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 3609 (4), 443–449.
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3609.4.7
Nijssen, H., Tuijl, L.V. & Isbrücker, I.J.H. (1982) A catalogue of the types-pecimens of recent fishes in the Institute of Taxonomic Zoology (Zoölogisch Museum), University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Verslagen en Technische Gegevens, Instituut voor Taxonomische Zoöogie, Universiteit van Amsterdam No. 33. Verslagen en Technische Gegevens, Instituut voor Taxonomische Zoöogie, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 173 pp.
Psomadakis, P.N., Osmany, H.B. & Moazzam, M. (2015) Field identification guide to the living marine resources of Pakistan. FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. FAO, Rome. x + 386 pp., pls. 42.
Puillandre, N., Lambert, A., Brouillet, S. & Achaz, G. (2012) ABGD, automatic barcode gap discovery for primary species delimitation. Molecular Ecology, 21, 1864–1877.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05239.x
Ravitchandirane, V., Geetha, V., Ramya, V., Janifer, B., Thangaraj, M., Subburaj, J., Ramanadevi, V. & Ganesan, T. (2012) Molecular identification and phylogenetic relationships of threadfin breams (family: Nemipteridae) using mtdna marker. Notulae Scientia Biologicae, 4, 13–18.
Russell, B.C. (1990) FAO species catalogue. Nemipterid fishes of the world (threadfin breams, whiptail breams, monocle breams, dwarf monocle breams and coral breams). Family Nemipteridae. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the nemipterid species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis, No. 125, 12, i–v, 1–149, pls. 1–8.
Russell, B.C. (2001) Nemipteridae, threadfin breams (also whiptail breams, monocle breams, dwarf monocle breams, and coral breams). In: Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (Eds.), FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Vol. 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae). FAO, Rome, pp. 3051–3089.
Russell, B.C. & Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. (1984) A new species of Parascolopsis (Pisces: Nemipteridae) from Indonesia. Beagle, Occasional Paper of the Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1, 111–114.
Sabaj, M.H. (2016) Standard symbolic codes for institutional resource collections in herpetology and ichthyology: an online reference. Version 6.5 (16 August 2016). American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Washington, DC. Available from: http://www.asih.org/resources/standard-symbolic-codes-institutionalresource-collections-herpetology-ichthyology (accessed 1 March 2018)
Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. (1985) Continental shelf fishes of Northern and North-western Australia. An illustrated guide. CSIRO Division of Fisheries Research, Canberra, viii + 375 pp.
Shibukawa, K. (2005) Nemipteridae. In: Matsuura, K. & Kimura, S. (Eds.), Fishes of Libong Island. West Coast of Southern Thailand. Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, pp. 45–47.
Weber, M. (1913) Die Fische der Siboga-Expedition. E. J. Brill, Leiden. xii + 710 pp., pls. 12.
Wongratana, T. (1978) A key for the identification of Scolopsis from Thailand (Pisces: Nemipteridae). Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society, 27, 23–34.