GALEOIDES GÜNTHER, 1860, A MONOTYPIC GENUS
OF THE FAMILY POLYNEMIDAE (PERCIFORMES)
byHiroyuki MOTOMURA (1), Ernst MIKSCHI (2) & Yukio IWATSUKI (3)ABSTRACT.!-!To date, the genus Galeoides Günther, 1860 has been considered to comprise two species,
G.!decadactylus (type species of the genus) and G.!microps Steindachner, 1869. However, examination ofthe holotype of G.!microps showed it belongs to the genus Polynemus, being a junior synonym ofP.!melanochir Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831. Accordingly, Galeoides represents amonotypic genus of the family Polynemidae.
RÉSUMÉ.!-!Galeoides Günther, 1860, genre monotypique de la famille des Polynemidae (Perciformes).
On considérait jusqu‘à présent que le genre Galeoides Günther, 1860 comprenait deux espèces,G.!decadactylus (espèce type du genre) et G.!microps Steindachner, 1869. Cependant, l’examen del’holotype de G! microps a montré qu’il appartient au genre Polynemus, et qu’il est un synonyme plus
récent de P.!melanochir Valenciennes in Cuvier et Valenciennes, 1831. En conséquence, Galeoidesreprésente un genre monotypique de la famille des Polynemidae.
Key!words.!-!Polynemidae - Galeoides decadactylus - Galeoides microps - Polynemus melanochir Synonymy.

To date the genus Galeoides Günther, 1860, originally proposed for a West Africanspecies, Polynemus decadactylus Bloch, 1795, has been considered to comprise two species,G.!decadactylus (type species of the genus) and G.!microps Steindachner, 1869 (e.g., Fowler,1935; Myers, 1936; Springer, 1982; Hureau, 1986), the latter being poorly known threadfin
originally described by Steindachner (1869a) on the basis of a single specimen from China
and later described in more detail (Steindachner, 1869b).
There is no indication in the literature that the holotype of G.!microps has been reexamined since Steindachner’s (1869a, 1869b) descriptions (Springer, 1982). Our examination of the holotype clearly showed it belongs to the genus Polynemus Linnaeus, 1758, asdefined by Feltes (1993). Furthermore, the black pectoral fin of the holotype of G.!microps
was found to be consistent with a diagnostic character [proposed by Feltes (1991)] ofP.!melanochir Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831.
A redescription of the holotype of G.!microps is given here and its status as a juniorsynonym of P.!melanochir confirmed. By virtue of the generic position of the latter, Galeoides
can now be seen to represent a monotypic genus.

(1)!Miyazaki University, the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, 1-1
Gakuen-kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, JAPAN. [a02113u@cc.miyazaki-u.ac.jp](2)!Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Fischsammlung, Burgring 7, A-1014 Wien, AUSTRIA.
(3)!Division of Fisheries Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Miyazaki University, 1-1 Gakuen-kibanadainishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, JAPAN.
Cybium 2001, 25(3): 269-272.

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Fig.!1.!-!Holotype (NMW 77568, 171!mm SL) of Galeoides microps Steindachner, 1869.

Counts and measurements generally followed Hubbs and Lagler (1947) and Feltes(1991), with some modifications following Motomura et al. (2000). Proportional measurements are expressed as percentage of standard length (SL). Institutional codes follow Leviton
et al. (1985).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The following counts and measurements (expressed as percentage of SL) are based on
the holotype (NMW 77568, 171!mm SL, China; Fig.!1) of Galeoides microps Steindachner,
1869: dorsal fin rays, VIII-I, 16; anal fin rays, III, 12; pectoral fin rays, 15; pectoral filaments,
7; pelvic fin rays, I, 5; pored lateral line scales, 71; gill rakers, 11 (upper)!+!16 (lower)!=!27(total); total length, 136; fork length, 111; head length, 24; body depth at 1st dorsal fin origin,
19; second body depth at 2nd dorsal fin origin, 21; body width at pectoral fin base, 11; snoutlength, 5; dermal eye opening, 2; orbit diameter, 2; interorbital width, 7; postorbital length, 17;
upper jaw length, 13; pre-1st dorsal fin length, 33; pre-2nd dorsal fin length, 55; pre-anal finlength, 61; 1st dorsal fin base to anal fin base, 35; pelvic fin base to anal fin base, 29; 2nddorsal fin base length, 21; anal fin base length, 15; longest pectoral filament length, ca. 140(all broken); pectoral fin base including pectoral filaments base, 12; longest pelvic fin length(2nd), 15; longest 1st dorsal fin spine length (3rd), 19; 2nd dorsal fin spine length, 7; longest
2nd dorsal fin ray length, 17; longest anal fin spine length (3rd), 7; longest anal fin ray length,
15; caudal peduncle length, 27; caudal peduncle depth, 10; upper caudal fin lobe length, 35;
lower caudal fin lobe length, 32. Furthermore, the holotype of G.!microps had the following
diagnostic characters (Fig.!1): pectoral fin insertion near midline of lateral body surface; pectoral fin black; posterior margin of preopercle serrated; 7 pectoral filaments; longest pectoral
filament length greater than total length in spite of filament being broken.
The genus Galeoides is characterized by the following diagnostic characters: pectoral
fin insertion well below midline of lateral body surface; posterior margin of preopercle serrated; eye diameter approximately equal to snout length; pectoral fin base including pectoral
filaments greater than or equal to upper jaw length; a black spot present below anterior part oflateral line in fresh specimens; swimbladder extending beyond anal fin origin (all described byFeltes, 1993); lateral line unbranched, extending to lower end of upper caudal fin lobe; only asingle supraneural bone present (Motomura et al., 2001). The characters of the holotype ofG.!microps were not consistent with the above generic diagnostic characters of Galeoides, butwere fully consistent with the following diagnostic characters of Polynemus, as defined byA monotypic genus, Galeoides

271

Feltes (1993): viz. pectoral fin insertion near midline of lateral body surface; posterior marginof preopercle serrated; eye diameter twice or more in snout length; longest pectoral filament
length greater than total length.
Polynemus melanochir Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831, originally described on the basis of a drawing sent by M. Finlayson from Sumatra, Indonesia (see Feltes,1991, fig. 1), was stated as having a very black pectoral fin. This has since been recognized as
diagnostic for that species among Polynemus (Feltes, 1991). Because the holotype ofG.!microps also has a black pectoral fin, we are of the opinion that G.!microps should be
regarded as a junior synonym of P.!melanochir, with Galeoides becoming a monotypic genus.
Comparative material examined
Specimens (n!=!32, 99-201!mm SL) of Galeoides decadactylus, including the holotype
of Polynemus decadactylus, were listed in Motomura et al. (2001). Polynemus dubius: URMP 13930, 138!mm SL, Samyan market, Bangkok, Thailand. P.!hornadayi: USNM 100632(holotype), 193!mm SL, Sadong River, Sarawak, Malaysia. P.!melanochir: UMMZ 232762,136!mm SL, Phnom Penh, Mekong River, Cambodia. P.!multifilis: RMNH 436 (holotype),
137!mm SL, near Bandjermasin, Borneo, Indonesia. P.!paradiseus: URM-P 10847, 165!mm
SL, Hooghly River, Calcutta, India.

Acknowledgments.!-!We appreciate specimen loans from: M.J.P. van Oijen and J. van Egmond (RMNH);
T. Yoshino (URM-P); D.W. Nelson (UMMZ); S.L. Jewett, L. Palmer, S.J. Raredon, S. Smith and J.T.
Williams (USNM); H.-J. Paepke (ZMB). We thank Y. Motomura (Miyazaki, Japan) for her assistance,G.S. Hardy (Thames, New Zealand), who read the initial manuscript and offered helpful comments and C.
Soliveres (Wien, Austria) for French translation of the abstract. This study was supported in part by grants
awarded to the first author by Research Fellowships (no. 123) of the Japan Society for the Promotion ofScience for Young Scientists (Tokyo, Japan).

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Reçu le 04.05.2001.
Accepté pour publication le 07.09.2001.