Wednesday, November 18, 2015

A new wrasse: Terelabrus dewapyle

The fish family of the wrasses or Labridae is a particular large group of marine fishes. It contains over 600 species of mostly smaller (<20cm) and often colourful fish that are associated with coral reefs or rocky shores. Juveniles of some species hide among the tentacles of mushroom coral.

Wrasses are carnivores, feeding on a wide range of small invertebrates. Many smaller species follow the feeding trails of larger fish, picking up invertebrates disturbed by their passing. A lot of labrid species are common in both public and home aquaria. 

The name of the new species is a combination of the surnames of Mr. Shin-ichi Dewa and Dr Richard L. Pyle who collected all type specimens in Japan.

For the experts: A new labrid fish Terelabrus dewapyle sp. nov. is described as the second species of the genus, on the basis of five specimens collected from southern Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji in depths of 72–92 m. The sole paratype of T. rubrovittatus Randall & Fourmanoir 1998 is herein identified as T. dewapyle and designated as a paratype of the latter. The new species can be distinguished from T. rubrovittatus by the following characters: lower number of scale rows in the longitudinal series (41 or 42 vs. 45–48 in the latter), fewer pored lateral-line scales (39 or 40 vs. 43–45), and fewer gill rakers (12 or 13 vs. 14 or 15); a broader space between the anteroventral margin of the orbit and the maxilla [least distance 1.2– 3.7% (mean 2.5%) SL vs. 0.5–2.3% (1.6%)]; no red blotches on the midlateral red stripe in adults and young (vs. 8–10 red blotches superimposed on midlateral red stripe in adults); no yellow band on the dorsal fin (vs. broad vivid yellow band submarginally on the dorsal fin in adults, pale yellow band in young); a vivid yellow (vs. white) space between the upper and midlateral red stripes; and a black blotch superimposed on the midlateral red stripe on the opercle in young, the black blotch fading with growth (vs. black blotch absent or indistinct).

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