Redescription of Polydactylus macrochir (Gunther, 1867),
a senior synonym of P. sheridani (Macleay, 1884)(Perciformes: Polynemidae)
Hiroyuki Motomura, 1 Yukio lwatsuki} Seishi Kimura 3 & Tetsuo Yoshino4
1

I'vlimzaki Unin'rsity. the United Graduate S'clwol ojAgricultural Sciences. Kagoshima University,
I I Ciakuen-kihanadai-nishi. iv!i_mzaki 889-2192, Japan (e-mail: a02II3uGz5cc.m(vazaki-u.acjp)'Division of'Fisheries Sciences. Facultr ojAgriculture, Jv!i_mzaki Universitv. 1-I Gakuen-kibanadai-nishi,
Mimzaki 889-2I92. Japan (e-mail: yuk@cc.miyazaki-u.acjp)
3
Fisheries Research Lahorat01y, Mie Universit1; P 0. Box II, Wagu. Shima, Mie 517-0703, Japan(e-mail: kimura-s(a;hio.mic-u.acjp)~Department of' Marine Sciences, Facultl' of'Science, University of' the Ryukyus, I Sen ham, Nishihara.
Okinawa 903-02 I 3. Japan (e-mail: h985005G15sci.u-tyukvu.acjp)(Received 31! August 1 'J'J9: in r-c,·iscd form 14 March 2000: accepted I June 2000)

IchthyologicalResearch

Motomura, H., Y. lwatsuki, S. Kimura and T. Yoshino. 2000. Redescription of Polydactylus macrochir (GUnther. 1867), a senior synonym of P. shcridani (Macleay. 1884) (Perciformes: Polynemidae). lchthyol. Res .. 47 (4): 327-333.
Abstract
Po!J·dactl'lus macrochir (Gunther, 1867), for many years identified as P
sheridani (Macleay, 1884), is redescribed as valid and a senior synonym of the latter
species, following examination of the holotype of the former and comparative material.
Polvdactrlus macrochir is characterized by 14 or 15 pectoral-fin rays (usually 14 ), fivepectoral filaments. 70-76 pored lateral-line scales, 32-35 gill rakers. occipital profile concave in adults, posterior margin of maxilla extending considerably beyond posterior margin of adipose eyelid, depth of posterior portion of maxilla greater than dermal eye opening in adults, second spine of first dorsal fin very strong and long pectoral-fin rays
(22-27% of standard length). Polvdactylus macrochir is currently known only from
northern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea, being endemic to those areas.

Kcr H'ords.- Polynemidae: synonymy: redescription: Polvdactylus macrochir: Polrdactylus sheridani.

he polynemid fish Pozrdactvlus macrochir (GLmther. 186 7), originally described from a single
specimen from New South Wales, Australia, has been
largely overlooked by subsequent researchers (Marshall. 1964: Munro, 1967: Lake, 1971: Grant, 1982,
1995: Kailola and Stewart, 1s993; Tuma, 1994), following its later description as Polyncmus ( = Polvdactvlus) shcridani Maclcay, 1884. The authors examined Australian specimens identified as P shcridani
in Australia. and found them to be identical to theholotype of Polmemus macrochir in both their meristic and morphological characters.
Polydactylus macrochir (Gunther, 1867) is herein
redescribed as valid. being a senior synonym of P
sheridani (Macleay, 1884 ), and is compared with related Indo-West Pacific polynemid species characterized by five pectoral filaments: P indicus (Shaw), P
microstomus (Bleeker) and P p!chcius (Broussonet).

T

Methods
Counts and measurements generally followed
Hubbs and Lagler (1947) and Feltes (1991 ), being
made on the left side wherever possible. In addition.
dermal eye opening and orbit diameter were taken as
the greatest distance between the fleshy margins of
the eye and between the bony margins of the eye, respectively. The length of the pectoral-fin base wasmeasured from the base of the uppermost pectoral-fin
ray to the base of the lowermost pectoral filament,
and those of the upper and lower caudal-fin lobes
from the middle of the posterior margin of the hypural plate to the posterior tip of the longest caudalfin ray of the upper and lower lobes, respectively.
Gill-raker counts were made on the first arch, theupper count being given first (lower counts including
a raker at angle). Standard length is expressed as SL
Terminology of the supraneural bones follows Mabee

328

H. Motomura et al.

( 1988). and the formula for configuration of thesupraneural bones, anterior neural spines and anterior
dorsal fin pterygiophores, Ahlstrom et al. ( 1976 ). The
configuration of supraneural bones, and vertebral andepipleural rib counts were checked in all specimens(except NTM specimens) by X-ray radiographs. The
swimbladder was observed in all MUFS specimens
following dissection of the right side. Institutional
codes follow Leviton et al. ( 1985 ). with additional institutional abbreviations as follows: Fisheries Science
Course, Department of Animal Science. Miyazaki
University. Japan (MUFS); Phuket Marine BiologicalCenter, Thailand (PMBC); Shanghai Fisheries University, China (SFU).

Polydactylus macrochir (Giinther, 1867)(English name: King threadfin)(Figs. 1, 2)
Po/memus macmchir Giinthcr. Hi67: 60 (type locality: New South
Wales, Australia [but probably erroneous: sec Distribution]).
Po/vnemus shcridani Macleay, 18X4: 21 (type locality: Mary River.
Quccnslaml Australia): Marshall. 1964: 416, pl. 56. fig. 40 I
(Queenslaml Australia): Menon. 1974: POLYN Poly I. 2 (locality not provided. as comparative material for P indicus and P
plchcill.l); Grant. 1995: 287. fig. 629a. 629b (northern Australia).
Polnlaczrius sheridani: Munro, 1967: 190 (Gulf of Papua. Papua
New Guinea, listed only in key): Lake, 1971: 43 (Australia):
Kailola. 1975: 183 (Daru and Pic River. Gulf of Papua. Papua
New Guinea): Grant, 1982: 530, pl. 272 (Queensland, Australia):
Kailola and Stewart. 19'13: 334 (northern Australia): Tuma.
1994: 72. unnumbered color figure (Queensland and Northern
Territory. Australia).
Polnlactl"iu.\ macrochir: Feltes. I'll) I: 303 (locality not provided.
name only in comparative material): Feltes, 1993: 207 (locality
not providcll name only in comparative material).
171 111111 SL. New South
Ho!otype. BMNH 1866.2. U.lWales, Australia (probably erroneous from present distributional
evidence: sec Distribution). collection date unknown.
'ion-type specimens (n=35, 58-442mm SL, all from Australia). AMS I. 6047. 263 mm SL, Port Darwin. Northern Territory (!2"27'S. l30°4WE): AMS I. 12568, 266mm SL, Burnett
River. Queensland (24°S, 152°E); AMS I. 15557-090, l54mm SL.
Gulf of Carpentaria. Queensland ( l7°25'S. 140°1 O'E); Ai'v!S I.
26859-011. 24'imm SL. Karumba, Queensland (!T29'S, 140"
50 'E): AMS IA. 776X. 249 mm SL. Charles Point. west of Darwin.
Northern Territory (!2°23'S. 130037'E): AMS lB. 1264, 58111111
SL. Fitzroy River. Mackenzie Island, Queensland (23°31 'S.
!50°52'E): MlJFS 17787-17789. 3 specimens. 372-442mm SL.
mouth of Mary River. Queensland (25°26'S. !52°55'E); IviUFS
17814-17815. 2 specimens. 285-346111111 SL. Reynolds River.
Northern Territory ( 13o IO"S. l30°08'E): NTM S. 11478-006. 226
mm SL. Kahlin Beach, Darwin, Northern Territory; NTM S.
11929-002. 163 mm SL. Kahlin Beach. Darwin, Northern Territory: NTM S. 14424-005. 16lmm SL. Pocock Beach. West Alligator Head. l'orthern Territory; NTM S. 14433-003. 224111111 SL,
creek on west side of West Alligator River. Northern Territory(l2°!5.49'S, 132°16.11'E): NTM S. 14440-005, 258mm SL,
mouth of Wildman River. Northern Territory (l2°l8.48'S,
l32°04.0l'E): NTM S. 14444-002, 175mm SL, creek ncar South
Alligator River. Northern Territory: NTM S. 14456-013, 211 mm
SL. mouth of East Alligator Ri\·er, Northern Territory: NTM S.
14458-001. 306 mm SL, creek on west side of East Alligator River,Northern Territory <l2°09.fl2'S, !32°42.06'E): NTM S. 14656009, 5 specimens. 59 72 mm SL, mouth of East Alligator River,Northern Territory ( l2°05.68'S, !32°38.29'E); NTM S. 14659003. 5~ mm SL. East Alligator River, Northern Territory(l2°05.57'S. l32°37.76'E): NTM S. 14671-001, 230mm SL,
mouth of East Alligator River. Northern Territory (l2°07.lJ2'S,132''38.XO'EJ: NTM S. 14672-001. 184mm SL, Rookery Creek,
East Alligator River. Northern Territory (12°08.49'S, l32°40.65'E);
NTM S. 14675-002, 172nun SL, West Alligator River. Northern
Territory (l2°!5.!7'S. !32°16.39'E); NTM S. 14679-001,2 specimens. 171···177 mm SL. reef south of Pococks Beach, West Alligator Head. Northern Territory ( l2°ll.l5'S, l32°l2.45'EJ; NTM S.
146Rl-002, !72mm SL. 20km (from river mouth) in upper streamof South Alligator River. Northern Territory ( l2°20.24'S,!32°25.3X'E): QM I. 1913. 206 n1111 SL, Raine Island. Queensland:
QM I. 25816-1. 258!87, 3 specimens. 212-223mm SL, mouth of
Arthurs Creek, Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland (l6°53'S.
l38°57'E).

Diagnosis. A species of Polydac(vlus with thefollowing combination of characters: 14 or 15 pectoral-fin rays (usually 14); five pectoral filaments; 7076 pored lateral-line scales; 32-·35 gill rakers; occipital profile concave in adults (Fig. 2C); posterior margin of maxilla extending considerably beyond posterior margin of adipose eyelid; depth of posterior
portion of maxilla greater than dermal eye opening in
adults (over ca. 200 mm SL ); second spine of firstdorsal fin very strong; pectoral-fin rays long (22-27%
ofSL).
Description. Counts and proportional measurements as percentages of SL of the holotype and nontype specimens of Polydacty!us macrochir are given
in Table 1. Characters given in the diagnosis are notrepeated.
Body oblong, compressed; maxilla covered withscales; orbit diameter approximately equal to snout
length, shorter than interorbital; lower lip well-developed; dentary teeth restricted to dorsal surface oflower jaw; posterior margin of preopercle serrated;
teeth villifom1 in broad bands on vomer, palatinesand ectopterygoids; all pectoral-fin rays unbranched;
tip of fourth pectoral filament extending beyond baseof anal fin; third spine of first dorsal fin longest; second dorsal-fin base slightly shorter than or equal toanal-fin base; distance between pelvic-fin base andanal-fin base shorter than head length; body depth
about one-fourth of SL; lateral line simple, extending
to upper end of lower caudal-fin lobe; formula for
configuration of supraneural bones, anterior neuralSynonymy of Australian Polynemids-----------

Fig. I.

---------

Holotype of Po~memus macrochir GUnther. 1867. BMNH 1866.2.13.17. 171 mm SL.

Fig. 2. Life stages of Po!Fdactylus macrochir. A, NTM S. 14656-009, 60 mm SL, mouth of East Alligator
River. Northern Territory. Australia: B. NTM S. 14444-002. 175 mm SL. creek ncar South Alligator River,Northern Territory. Australia: C. MUFS 17787. 442 mm SL, mouth of Mary River. Queensland Australia.

329

330

H. Motomura et al.

spines and anterior dorsal pterygiophores 0/0/0+ 211+ 1/1/l/l/1/; vertebrae 10+ 14; 6 or 7 epipleura1 ribs;
swimbladder simple, large.

Table 1.

Life color notes.
Based on color transparencies
of MUFS 17814-17815, 2 specimens, 285-346mm
SL from Reynolds River, Northern Territory, Aus-

Counts and measurements of the holotype and non-type specimens of Po~vdactylus macrochir,expressed as percentages of standard length
Holotype
BMNH 1866.2.13.17

Non-type specimens

171
192

58-442
66-484

VIII-I. I I
III, I 1

VIII-I, 11-13 (12)III, 10-12 (11)14-15 (14)51, 570-76 (72)
8-1 I (9)/12-15 (12)13-15 (14)= 18-20 (20)=32-35 (34)Standard length (mm)Fork length (mm)Counts (modes)
Dorsal-fin rays
Anal-fin rays
Pectoral-fin rays
Pectoral filaments
Pelvic-fin rays
Pored lateral-line scales
Scales above and below lateral line
Gill rakers
Measurements (means)
Head length
Body depth
Second body depth
Body width at pectoral-fin base
Snout length
Dermal eye opening
Orbit diameter
Interorbital width
Postorbital length
Upper-jaw length
Depth at posterior margin of premaxilla
Pre-! st dorsal-fin lengthPre-2nd dorsal-fin lengthPre-anal-fin length
First dorsal-fin origin to anal-fin origin
Pelvic-fin origin to anal-fin origin
Second dorsal-fin base length
Anal-fin base length
Longest pectoral-fin length
Longest pectoral-filament length (4th)Pectoral-fin base length
Longest pelvic-fin ray length (I st)
Longest I st dorsal-fin spine length (3rd)Second dorsal-fin spine length
Longest 2nd dorsal-fin ray length (2nd)Longest anal-fin spine length (3rd)Longest anal-fin ray length (2nd)Caudal-peduncle length
Caudal-peduncle depth
Upper caudal-fin lobe length
Lower caudal-fin lobe length
Modes or means in parentheses include data from holotype.

14

5
1.5
72
8/12
14+19=33

28
25
24
10
5

4
5
7
20
14
4
34
59
61
37
28
16
16
25
47

8
17
20
10
20
10
19
26
11
32
32

n=35

28-34 (30)23-28 (25)23-26 (25)
10-14 (12)4-6 (5)3-6 (4)4-7 (5)
6-8 (6)19-22 (21)13-17 (15)
4--5 (4)34-40 (36)59-64 (60)60-66 (62)35-41 (38)25-32 (28)14-17 (15)15-18 (16)22-27 (24)40-53 (46)
8-9 (8)
14--18 (16)19-21 (19)9-11 (10)18-22 (20)9-13 (10)16-24 (18)24-28 (26)9-13 (11)33-41 (35)31-46 (33)Synonymy of Australian Polynemids------------------------------

tralia: upper sides of head and trunk tinged goldensilver, becoming more silver on lower sides; first andsecond dorsal fins pale brown; pectoral and pelvic
fins vivid yellow; anterior part of anal fin yellow,
other parts yellowish-white; pectoral filaments whiteor yellowish-white; posterior margin of caudal fin
grayish-black, other parts grayish.
Color of" preserved specimens.- Head and bodylight brown dorsally, pale brown ventrally; tip ofmembrane between third and fourth spines of firstdorsal fin dark brown; pectoral-fin membranes with asmall number of mclanophorcs; other fins, including
pectoral filaments, pale brown.

Distribution. Po~ydac(vlus macrochir is distributed only from northern Australia and southern Papua
New Guinea, being endemic to those areas. The
species is currently known from Broome, Western
Australia to Brisbane River, Queensland, northern
Australia (Marshall, 1964; Grant, 1982; Kailola andStewart, 1993; Johnson, 1999; this study), and Daru
and Pie River, Gulf of Papua, southern Papua New
Guinea (Kailola, 1975).
Gt'inther ( 186 7) stated that the holotype of Polynemus ( = Polydactylus) macrochir was collected from
New South Wales, Australia. However, the species
has never been collected from that area according to
the collection databases of the Australian Museum
and Queensland Museum (M. McGrouther and J.
Johnson, pers. comm.). The holotype specimen wasapparently collected in Queensland, being transferred
to a fish market in New South Wales.
Girija Kumari et a!. ( 1985) reported that nine specimens of Po(vdactvlus macrochir (as Po(vnemus
slzeridani) were collected from Bay of Bengal, India.
However. the description of those specimens given by
Girija Kumari et a!. ( 1985), viz. 19 gill rakers, caudal-fin lobes filamentous and grayish body color, arecloser to the diagnosis of P indicus (see Comparisons).
Ecological note. Polydactylus macrochir inhabits
turbid coastal waters, estuaries and mangrove creeks
as well as mangrove-lined rivers. Furthermore,.available collection data for the species indicated thatspecimens had been taken from depths of 0.2-6 m.
Although the species was stated to reach a weight ofca. 45 kg (Macleay. 1884 ), such examples are notseen today (Marshall, 1964 ). The record weight for
one taken at Maryborough, Queensland, Australia
was ca. 30 kg (Marshall, 1964 ).
Remarks.

The holotype (BMNH 1866.2.13.17,331

171 mm SL) of Polydac(vlus macrochir, examinedherein, had five pectoral filaments on both sides, allof the pectoral-fin rays unbranched and 72 pored lateral-line scales. These characters have subsequently
been used as the basis for identification of P. sheridani (Marshall, 1964; Munro, 1967; Menon, 1974;
Grant, 1982).
The type specimen of P. sheridani was formerly
held in the Macleay Museum, Sydney, Australia,
most of the type specimens in that institution beingtransferred to the Australian Museum, Sydney, in1972. However, the holotype of P. sheridani cannot
now be found and is apparently lost (M. McGroutherand S. Norrington, pers. comm. ).
The characters of P. sheridani, viz. maxilla large,
posterior margin of maxilla extending beyond posterior margin of eye and second spine of first dorsal finvery strong, as described by Macleay ( 1884), were
found to be consistent with those of the holotype of P.
macrochir. Comparison of a range of material withthe latter and the original description of P. sheridani,
led to the conclusion that P. macrochir was a seniorsynonym of P sheridani.

Comparisons. Po~vdactylus macrochir (Gunther,
1867) and three other Indo-West Pacific species included in this genus, viz. P indicus (Shaw, 1804), P.
microstomus (Bleeker, 1851) and P plebeius (Broussonet, 1782), are characterized by five pectoral filaments. The former compared with the other specieson the basis of previously-reported principal references and comparative material (P indicus, n=9; P
microstomus, n=6; P plebeius, n= 16 [see Comparative material examined]).
Po~rdactylus macrochir can be easily distinguishedfrom P microstomus in lacking a large black spot anteriorly on the lateral line (vs. present in the latter;
Weber and de Beaufort, 1922; Menon and Babu Rao,
1984; Talwar and Jhingran, 1992; this study). Po(ydactylus macrochir differs from P. indicus in having a
golden-silver body, and vivid yellow pectoral andpelvic fins when alive (vs. body, pectoral and pelvic
fins grayish-black; Day, 1876; this study), higher
counts of gill rakers (32-35 vs. 18-20, this study) andshorter upper and lower caudal-fin lobes (vs. very
long, filamentous; Weber and de Beaufort, 1922;
Menon, 1974; Menon and Babu Rao, 1984; thisstudy).
In overall body appearance, Polydacrylus macrochir
is most similar to P plebeius. However, P. macrochirdiffers from P plebeius in having higher counts ofpored lateral-line scales (70-76 vs. 58-65; Day, 1876;
Weber and de Beaufort, 1922; Munro, 1955; Senou,

332

H. Motomura et al.

1993 ), higher counts of gill rakers (32-35 vs. 24-26;
Jones and Kumaran, 1980; Senou, 1993), occipitalprofile concave in adults (vs. nearly straight, thisstudy), posterior margin of the maxilla extending
considerably beyond the posterior margin of the adipose eyelid (vs. reaching to or extending only slightly
beyond posterior margin of adipose eyelid, this study)
and the second spine of the first dorsal fin more robust than the other spines of the first dorsal f1n ( vs. allspines similar, this study).
Comparative material examined. Polydactvlus indicus:
ANSP 88347. 205mm SL, Mumbai (=Bombay), India; FSKU
96814. 182mm SL, Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia; MUFS 16846,262mm SL, Kalairt fish landing port, Chennai (=Madras), India:
MUFS 17010. 2!5mm SL, Chinatown market, Singapore; PMBC
6742. 2 specimens, 161-248mm SL, Myanmar, north Anclaman
Sea (15°18.3'N. 97°!3.8'E); URM-P 12700, 13776, 2 specimens.
198-294 mm SL, Samyan market, Bangkok, Thailand: URM-P
29076. 129 mm SL. Bangkok, Thailand. P microstomus: FRLM
15773. 91 mm SL, Kuta, Lombok Island, Indonesia; FRLM 23518.
23520,2 specimens. l01-ll6mm SL, Passo, Baguala Bay, Ambon
Island. Indonesia: tvlUFS 14159, !54 mm SL, estuary of Ouenghi
Rtver. New Caledonia: ZMH 13649, 128 mm SL, New Guinea:
ZMH 13650, 88 mm SL, Manila Bay, Luzon Island, Philippines. P
pleheius: FRLM 1624, 9815. 11357, 13712-13714, 6 specimens,
135-245 mm SL. Goza, Shima, Mic. Japan: MUFS 14201-14202.
2 specimens, 271-323 mm SL, Noumea. New Caledonia: MUFS
16847. 161\52, 2 specimens. Ill ~155 mm SL, Shanmugam fish
market, Chennai (o-,Madras), India; NSMT-P 19247. ll9~ml11 SL.
off Ito, Shizuoka. Japan: NSMT~P 23943, 2 specimens. 195-223
m111 SL. lshigaki Island Ryukyu Islands, Japan; SFU 31-\32, 171
mm SL. Hong Kong. China; lJRM~P 3048, 331 mm SL. Chinen
f1sh market, Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan; YCM-P 133.
144 m111 SL, l'vlanazuru fish market, Kanagawa, Japan.

Acknoll'lcdgmcnts. --We arc most grateful to A.-M. Hine
(BMNH) for the loan of the holotype of Polvncmus
macrochir, and to !VI. McGrouther (AlVIS). S. No;rington(MAMU) and J. Johnson (QM) for information on the typeof P. shcriclani. We are greatly appreciative to W. G. Saul
(ANSP), H. Ida (FSKU), K. Matsuura (NSMT), S. Bussarawit and U. Satapoomin (PMBC), H.-L. Wu (SFU), M.
Hayashi (YCM) and H. Wilkens (ZMH) for comparative
specimen loans. M. McGrouther and K. Parkinson (AlVIS).
B. Russell, G. Dally and S. Gregg (NTM) and J. Johnson(QM) all kindly assisted the first author during his visit toAustralia. Lastly, we thank G. S. Hardy (Thames, New
Zealand) who read the initial manuscript and offered helpful comments. This study was supported in part by grants
awarded to the first author by the Fujiwara Natural History
Foundation (Tokyo. Japan). the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from the Japan Science Society (Tokyo.
Japan) and the Ito Foundation for the Advancement of
Ichthyology (Tokyo. Japan).

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