Parapercis altipinnis Ho & Heden 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ho, Hsuan-Ching
name: Heden, Miranda Van
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Perciformes
Pinguipedidae
Parapercis
Parapercis altipinnis

description: Parapercis altipinnis sp. nov.
English name: Karen's sandperch Figures 1A–D, 2A, B; Tables 1, 2
Parapercis sp. 5: Kuiter & Tonozuka, 2001:569, fig. A–B (Bali, Indonesia, underwater photograph only).
Holotype. NMMB-P26107, 50.3 mm SL, Cebu, the Philippines, ca. 55–65 m, hand net, SCUBA diving, and purchased from an aquarium in Belgium in December, 2016.
Diagnosis. Dorsal-fin rays V, 21; anal-fin rays I, 17; pectoral-fin rays 14 or 15; lateral-line scales 42 or 43; gill rakers on first gill arch 3 + 7; predorsal scales 3; small, partly embedded, cycloid scales on anterior portion and large ctenoid scales in about 4 rows on posterior portion of cheek; single row of vomerine teeth in curved band; palatine teeth present; prominent sharp spine at upper edge of subopercle present; body depth 4.1 in SL (24.3% SL); first two dorsal-fin spines elongate, first slightly longer than head length, second about half length of first; membrane from last dorsal-fin spine joined to base of first soft ray; caudal fin slightly rounded. When alive, body reddish dorsally and blackish ventrally; 5 large brown saddles on dorsal surface; scattered dots on top of head, first dorsal fin and dorsal surface of back; first dorsal fin whitish with 5 black mark on anterior margin of first spine; a black band below eye; cheek and throat blackish; row of 10 white short bars along lateral side of body axis; row of 9 blackish red bars on lower half of lateral body; base of pelvic fin and lower half of caudal fin blackish; row of black spots on base of soft dorsal fin.
Description. Dorsal-fin rays V, 21; anal-fin rays I, 17; pectoral-fin rays 15 (right side)/14 (left side); pelvic-fin rays I, 5; principal caudal-fin rays 15 (8 + 7), the median 13 branched; upper procurrent rays 7, lower procurrent rays 6; lateral-line scales 42/43; scales above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 3, to base of anterior soft rays of dorsal fin 2.5; scales below lateral line in a vertical row to original of anal fin 12; circumpeduncular scales 20; predorsal scale 3; gill rakers on first gill arch 3 + 7; branchiostegal rays 6; pseudobranchial filaments 8; vertebrae 10 + 20.
Body depth 4.1 in SL; body slightly compressed anteriorly, becoming more compressed posteriorly, the greatest width 1.3 in body depth; head length 3.5 in SL; snout pointed, its length 3.1 in HL; orbital diameter 3.4 in HL; eyes oriented as much dorsally as laterally, interorbital space narrow, 10.6 in HL; caudal peduncle depth 3.0 in HL; caudal peduncle length 3.3 in HL.
Mouth slightly oblique with lower jaw slightly projecting; upper jaw extending to a vertical at mid-eye, its length 2.4 in HL; front of upper jaw with 14 incurved canine teeth (7 on each side); broad band of villiform teeth immediately behind anterior canines, narrowing to single row of slender conical teeth along posterior half of jaw; front of lower jaw with 8 canine teeth (4 on each side), the fourth on each side a large recurved canine; very broad band of villiform teeth immediately behind anterior canines, narrowing to single row of small conical teeth along posterior half of jaw; conical teeth in curved row; small conical teeth on palatines. Inner surface of lips with ridges of fleshy papillae. Tongue narrowly triangular with rounded tip.
Gill membranes united, not attached to isthmus, with broad free fold across. Gill rakers short, less than half the length of the longest gill filaments of first gill arch. Anterior nostril a small membranous tube with a posterior flap in front of center of eye about half way to base of upper lip; posterior nostril a large pore with slight rim dorsoposterior to anterior nostril, the internarial distance about half pupil diameter.
Opercle with strong spine, angling slightly upward, on line between lower edge of eye and upper edge of pectoral-fin base; upper edge of subopercle with a strong spine, slightly upward, at level of lower edge of pectoralfin base; preopercle broadly rounded with a smooth posterior margin; opercular membrane broadest ventrally where it joins the branchiostegal membrane.
Single continuous lateral line originating at upper end of opercular slit, approximately following the contour of back. Head pores well developed, row of 3 large pores above upper jaw; row of 6 large pores along the outer edge and row of 10 (right side)/9 (left side) small pores along the outer border of cheek scales on preopercle; many small pores on dorsal surfaces of snout, head, nape and around the eyes with a cluster of pores continuing to the origin of lateral line; 4 symmetrical pairs of large pores on lower jaw.
Scales mostly ctenoid, those on side of body with about 30–40 cteni; small cycloid scales in about 5 oblique rows on anterior half of cheek, continuing to about 4 oblique rows of large ctenoid scales on preopercle; large ctenoid scales, with few smaller ones, in about 4 rows on opercle and subopercle; 1 or 2 ctenoid scales on posterior portion of interopercle; no scales on dorsal, anal or pelvic fins; small scales on about basal fourth of pectoral fins; very small scales extending about three-fourths length of caudal fin; scales on chest ctenoid, except for those on anterior border of isthmus which are cycloid.
Origin of dorsal fin about above posterior end of opercular flap, predorsal length 3.6 in SL; first dorsal fin extremely high, the spines progressively shorter; first dorsal-fin spine slightly longer than head, 3.4 in SL; second dorsal-fin spine about half length of first, 1.9 in HL; membrane from fifth dorsal-fin spine attached nearly at base of first soft dorsal-fin ray. Soft dorsal fin highest at anterior half, gradually lower, last ray branched to base, longest rays 1.9 in HL. Origin of anal fin below base of fifth soft dorsal-fin ray, preanal length 2.1 in SL, its shape similar to that of soft dorsal fin; anal-fin spine slender and closely applied to first soft ray, 4.2 in HL; longest soft anal-fin ray 2.2 in HL. Pectoral fin rectangular, middle rays longest, 1.3 in HL. Original of pelvic fins below upper base of pectoral fins, the prepelvic length 3.8 in SL; pelvic-fin spine slender and closely applied to the first soft ray, it length 2.9 in HL; fourth soft pelvic-fin ray longest, reaching base of fourth soft ray of anal fin, its length 1.1 in HL. Caudal fin slightly rounded, the upper corner angular and the lower broadly rounded, its length 4.9 in SL.
Color when fresh generally reddish on dorsal half and blackish on lower half, with irregular deep colored saddles, bars, dots and white patches. Broad dark band below eye; front of lower jaw blackish; large patch mixed with white, red and black colors surrounding by white on check; an X-shaped mark on top of anterior portion of snout, accompanied by bright white patch on each side of upper lip; bright white patch on upper portion of eye. Scattered blackish red dots on top of head, on dorsal surface and on spinous dorsal fin; five brownish blotches alternating with white bands on dorsal surface, first on nape and at base of first dorsal fin, second to fourth at base of soft dorsal fin and the last, small blotch, on caudal peduncle. Row of about 10 short, white bars along the lateral side of body axis; row of nine deep red bands along lower half of lateral side of body, first two rather blackish. First dorsal fin milky white with scattered dots, leading spine with five black marks on anterior surface; second dorsal fin nearly transparent, with three rows of blackish spots, those on the lower row along the base of soft dorsal fin. Pectoral fin mostly transparent with small patch mixed with milky white, red and black colors at its base; pelvic fin blackish red at base, gradually becoming transparent distally; anal fin semi-transparent, slightly reddish and blackish; caudal fin with rows of short indistinct bars on upper half and blackish red on lower half. Coloration of a matured male can be seen in Kuiter & Tonozuka (2001:569, fig. A–B).
Color when preserved blackish in general with various dark patches or dots. A black patch on upper margin of eye and a broad bar below the eye; small dots on top of head and dorsal surface of body; posterior third of jaws white with some black pigment; a broad black bar crocking anterior portion of chin and lip on lower jaw; posterior portion of gill membrane black. Five indistinct saddles on dorsal surface of body; row of 9 bars along lower half of lateral side of body. First dorsal fin blackish with scattered dots, the leading spine with 5 black marks on anterior surface; soft dorsal fin with three rows of spots, the lower row along the base of the fin, large and scattered in arrangement, those in upper row less distinct; anal fin blackish with a pale line; caudal fin blackish, slightly darker on lower half and with rows of indistinct short bars on upper half.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin alti (long) and pinnis (fin) in referring to the extremely high first dorsal fin.
Distribution. Known only from the holotype collected from Cebu, the Philippines, at around 55–65 m depth.
Ecological note. That Parapercis is generally believed to be protogynous and that the change from female to male is often accompanied by color changes, but not elongation of certain fin rays (Ho, pers. obse.). The holotype has a pairs of saccus connecting to the cloaca, which are most likely ovaries but without eggs. The specimen might be a juvenile or a mature female just after spawning. Underwater photographs of a male individual are provided in Kuiter & Tonozuka (2001; as Parapercis sp. 5). It shows sexual dimorphism in the coloration, but not the high dorsal fin, in present species.
description: Published as part of Ho, Hsuan-Ching & Heden, Miranda Van, 2017, A new species of the sandperch genus Parapercis from the Philippines (Perciformes: Pinguipedidae), pp. 563-569 in Zootaxa 4341 (4) on pages 564-566, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4341.4.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1040640