Validity of a Lutjanid Fish, Lutjanus ophuysenii (Bleeker) with a Related Species, L. vitta (Quoy et Gaimard)

A valid lutjanid fish, Lutjanus ophuysenii (Bleeker) is, herein, described. This species has been synonymized with L. vitta (Quoy et Gaimard) but differs in several important characters including squamation, color pattern, and geographic distribution. L. ophuysenii has 46-49 lateral line scales, no small scales on the lower preopercular flange, a black spot superimposed on the mid-lateral stripe in all stages, higher dorsal (first and sixth) and anal (first and fourth) soft rays lengths ratios in the eye diameter, and the pectoral and pelvic fins entirely yellow in life. In contrast, L. vitta has 49-52 lateral-line scales, small scales on the lower preopercular flange, lower dorsal (first and sixth) and anal (first and fourth) rays lengths ratios in the eye diameter, whitish pelvics and transparent pectorals with light yellow dorsally in life. L. ophuysenii is restricted to the Eastern Asian Shelf of the western North Pacific, including southern Japan (except the Ryukyu Ids.), southern Korea, Yellow Sea, western region of Taiwan and the vicinity of Hong Kong. L. vitta is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region except in the Eastern Asian Shelf. However, the species are sympatric at southwestern Taiwan and in the vicinity of Hong Kong. Thirty-nine snappers of the genus Lutjanus in the Indo-West Pacific region were recently reviewed by Allen and Talbot (1985). Their excellent work facilitated the identification of most members of this genus. However, one species, presumably belonging to the yellow-lined snapper complex (table 5 in Allen and Talbot, 1985), did not correspond well with their descriptions. They stated, in L. vitta, "The midlateral stripe of juveniles and subadults is frequently intensely black with an oval black spot, eye size or greater, lying in the middle of the stripe below the last dorsal spines. " Allen (1985) also mentioned these features. However, we have observed that all the specimens from southern Japan possessed the spot even in larger adult fish exceeding 30cm in standard length. These specimens seem to agree with the type of Mesoprion ophuysenii Bleeker, which we believe to be a valid species of the genus Lutjanus. Its distribution is southern Japan (except the Ryukyu Ids.), southern Korea, Yellow Sea, western Taiwan, and the vicinity of Hong Kong. The purpose of this study is to clarify the distinction between L. ophuysenii (Bleeker, 1860) and L. vitta (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824), a closely related species with which it has been confused. Materials and Methods Institutional codes followed Leviton et al. (1985). Specimens examined are deposited in the following institutions; AMS, CAS, FRSKU, MNHN, Fisheries Science Course, Department of Animal Science, Miyazaki University, Miyazaki, Japan (MUFS), RMNH, URM, and WAM. All material examined in this study is listed below and includes institutional catalogue number [the number of specimen(s): standard length (SL, mm)], locality and collection date. Counts and measurements follow those of Allen and Talbot (1985). CDU and LU mean "collection date unknown" and