Scorpaenopsis rubrimarginatus Fricke, Durville & Mulochau, 2013, new species
Creators: name: Fricke, Ronald
name: Durville, Patrick
name: Mulochau, Thierry
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Scorpaeniformes
Scorpaenidae
Scorpaenopsis
Scorpaenopsis rubrimarginatus

description: Scorpaenopsis rubrimarginatus new species
(Figs 1 -4)
Holotype
MNHN 2012-0401 (24.3 mm SL, male), off Saint-Gilles, La Réunion, 21°03’23’’S- 55°13’04’’E, 80 m depth, P. Durville, 2011.
Diagnosis
The following combination of characters distinguishes Scorpaenopsis rubrimarginatus from small and short-snouted species with the nape and anterior body not highly arched, and with the upper opercular spine divided into two or more points (two points in S. rubrimarginatus): 16 pectoral-fin rays, 23 lateral-line scales, 42 scales in longitudinal series on body, the posterior lacrimal spine single, a broad space present between the eye and the suborbital ridge, the suborbital ridge bearing five retrorse spines, the interorbital ridges not elevated posteriorly to join the tip of the tympanic spines, a deep subtriangular suborbital pit present, the base of the parietal spines curving strongly into the occipital pit, the orbit large (eye diameter 0.62 in snout length/preorbital length, 2.4 in head length), a small, triangular supraocular tentacle present, the head length 2.3 in SL, the first dorsal-fin spine 2.5 in second spine, the second anal-fin spine about equal in length to third spine, and the pectoral-fin of the male longest, its length 2.1 in head length. Penultimate dorsal-fin spine 2.2 in last spine. Second anal-fin spine short, 3.2 in head. First anal-fin spine 1.4 in length of second spine (73% of that length), and 2.2 in length of third spine (46% of that length). Uppermost and lower eight rays of pectoral fin unbranched, remaining rays branched; eighth ray longest, its length less than head length; lower unbranched rays slightly thickened; posterior margin of fin rounded.
with a large black spot basally on 8 th- 10 th rays (which is spines present. Width between tips of postocular spines 2.5 missing in presumed females). times orbit diameter. Interorbital ridges moderately devel- oped, separated at narrowest place by less that width of a Description single ridge. Tympanic spines longer than postocular spines, Dorsal-fin spines XII; dorsal-fin rays 9. Anal-fin rays III, nearly directly behind them. No ridge connecting tympanic 6. Pectoral-fin rays 16. Lateral-line scales 23. Scales ctenoid and parietal spines. Parietal and nuchal spines elevated; parion most of the body, becoming cycloid on abdomen, 42 in etal spines shorter than nuchal spines. Suborbital pit present, longitudinal series. Gill rakers broad, spiny, eight on lower shallow. Suborbital ridge with five spines, the first on lac- arch. For measurements of the holotype see table I. rimal small. Posterior lacrimal spine longer than anterior. Upper jaw with three series of small teeth, which are Upper opercular spine double. Lower opercular spine preslightly recurved. The teeth are similar in the lower jaw. Pal- ceded by a ridge. Postocular region and basal part of opercle atine teeth absent. One-fourth of eye extending above dorsal scaled, but no scales on opercle between spines. Predorsal profile of head. Occipital pit present but not deep; anterior scale rows 4. Preopercle with a total of three spines. Upper edge of pit incurved; no transverse ridge across posterior end preopercular spine strong. A small, triangular supraocular of occipital pit. Nasal spines small. Preocular spine strong, tentacle present. No other tentacles on head or body. Anterislightly curved backward. Supraorbital ridge barely expand- or end of each mandibular canal with two pores, not opening ed over posterior half of eye. A pair of small supraocular to a common midventral pit. Head length 43.2% of standard length.
Table I. - Measurements of the holotype of Scorpaenopsis rubrimarginatus First dorsal-fin spine short, 2.2 in length of sec- new species; values are given in per mm, and in percentage of the standard ond spine (45% of that length), and 2.9 in length length.
of third spine (34% of that length). Fourth spine
Colour in preservative
Body pale yellowish, dorsal parts of head, opercle, and anterior dorsal parts of body with dark brown pigment (Fig. 1). Eye dark grey, dorsally with dark brown pigment. Fins pale whitish, except a large black spot basally on 8 th- 10 th pectoral fin rays; pectoral fin with few additional small black pigment spots.
Colour in life
Body pale yellowish, dorsal parts of head, opercle, and anterior dorsal parts of body with oblique, brownish yellow to rose grey bars (Fig. 4; the presumed female colouration is based on photographed specimens, which were not collected). Eye brownish yellow to rose grey, dorsally with crimson blotches and streaks. Dorsal fin pale whitish to yellow, with broad, crimson bars. Anal fin bright crimson, distal part of posterior membranes bluish white. Caudal fin pale whitish to yellow, with a basal and a distal vertical crimson bar. Pectoral fins pale whitish to brownish yellow, basal two-thirds with brownish to rose-grey blotches, a broad distal margin bright crimson, leaving the tips of the fin-rays bluish white. Male with a large black spot basally on 8 th- 10 th pectoral fin rays; this spot, which is found on both pectoral fins of the holotype and was observed on additional photographed specimens, is missing in the presumed females. Pelvic fins bright crimson.
Distribution
This species is only known from the holotype, which was collected at 80 m depth off Saint-Gilles, Réunion, Mascarene Islands, southwestern Indian Ocean.
Etymology
Ruber (Latin) = red; marginatus (Latin) = margined. The name of the new species refers to the conspicuous red margin of the pectoral fin.
Comparison
This new species is a member of the lineage of small, short-snouted species like Scorpaenopsis cotticeps with the upper opercular spine divided into two or more points, as defined by Randall and Poss in Randall and Eschmeyer (2001). Within this lineage (key couplet no. 7 in the key to the genus presented below), it differs from S. brevifrons, S. crenulata, S, pluralis, S. vittapinna in its single posterior lacrimal spine (2-3 points in those species) and the large orbit (0.62 in snout length/preorbital length, compared to 1.2-1.7 in those species). From the Hawaiian Islands endemic Scorpaenopsis altirostris, the new species differs in the second anal-fin spine which is about equal in length to the third spine (clearly longer than third spine in S. altirostris), possibly the larger eye (eye diameter 2.4 in head length, compared to 3.3-3.6 in S. altirostris; however, the eye may be relatively larger in the small holotype of S. rubrimarginatus n. sp.), the shorter head (head length 2.3 in SL, compared with 1.9- 2.0 in S. altirostris), its 16 pectoral-fin rays (usually 18 in S. altirostris), and its 42 longitudinal scale series (45 in S. altirostris). It is distinguished from the South African species S. gilchristi by the broad space between the suborbital ridge and the eye (suborbital ridge directly below the eye in S. gilchristi), the presence of a deep subtriangular suborbital pit (suborbital pit usually absent in S. gilchristi), the small and triangular supraocular tentacle (long, fimbriate, longer than eye diameter in S. gilchristi), the mandibular pore pattern (pores at symphysis of lower jaw open medially to a deep midventral pit in S. gilchristi), and the slightly higher lateral-line scale count (22 in S. gilchristi); the holotypes of the two species are directly compared in table II. Scorpaenopsis rubrimarginatus n. sp. differs from S. cotticeps in its 42 longitudinal scale series (33-37 in S. cotticeps), the interorbital ridges which are not elevated posteriorly to join the tip of the tympanic spines (elevated and joining the tympanic spines in S. cotticeps), and the base of the parietal spines curving strongly into the occipital pit (not curving into occipital pit in S. cotticeps). The new species is distinguished from the Marquesas Islands endemic S. pusilla in its suborbital ridge bearing five retrorse spines (four spines in S. pusilla), the absence of a supraocular tentacle (large supraorbital tentacle present in S. pusilla), the first dorsal-fin spine 2.5 in second spine (1.85 in S. pusilla), and the pectoral-fin with a small black blotch basally on 8 th- 10 th rays (lacking such a black blotch in S. pusilla).
The new species differs from Scorpaenopsis longispina, which also occurs at the Mascarenes and may have a red colour pattern, in its smaller body size (S. longispina reaching 92 mm SL), in having the upper opercular spine divided into two points (single in S. longispina), in its 42 scales in the longitudinal series on the body (49-53 in S. longispina), the body depth 2.8 in SL (2.95-3.2 in SL in S. longispina), the first dorsal-fin spine 2.5 in length of second spine (1.95-2.15 in S. longispina), the second dorsal fin in the male pale in preservative, with a broad red bar in life, but without basal dark spots (with two basal dark spots in S. longispina), and the male’s pectoral-fin with a single characteristic centralbasal black spot (with several irregular dark spots in lower half).
A revised key to scorpaenid fish species of the genus Scorpaenopsis is presented below to distinguish Scorpaenopsis rubrimarginatus n. sp. from other species of the genus.
Remarks
The Scorpaenopsis cotticeps lineage, which comprises small and short-snouted species with the upper opercular spine divided into two or more points, now includes nine species, mostly from shallow to very deep water in isolated, marginal Indo-Pacific localities. Other species have restricted distribution ranges in northeastern South Africa, Wallis and Futuna, the Hawaiian Islands and the Marquesas Islands, while a single species is widespread in shallow water (2.5- 28 m) from East Africa to the Society Islands (Scorpaenopsis vittapinna). The Wallis and Futuna endemic Scorpaenopsis crenulata has been collected at a depth of 600 m. Together with the Hawaiian Islands endemics S. altirostris (79-134 m depth) and S. pluralis (110 m depth), the new species S. rubrimarginatus n. sp. (80 m depth) is intermediate between S. crenulata and the other species known in the group (which are known from 1-50 m depth).
A male and a presumed female of the new species were photographed on black sand (Fig. 4); the species is expected to be associated with deep volcanic rock habitats. It is difficult to collect in such habitats which are below regular SCUBA-diving depths and barely accessible by dredges or trawls.
description: Published as part of Fricke, Ronald, Durville, Patrick & Mulochau, Thierry, 2013, Scorpaenopsis rubrimarginatus, a new species of scorpionfish from Réunion, southwestern Indian Ocean (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae), pp. 207-215 in Cybium 37 (3) on pages 208-212, DOI: 10.26028/cybium/2013-373-008, http://zenodo.org/record/13628034