Hecords of the ~Vestern Australian Museum 24: 109112

Aseraggodes crypticus, a new Sole (Pleuronectiformes: Soleidae)from Christmas Island, Indian Ocean

John E. RandalI l and Gerald R. Allen2

I Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-2704, USA.email: jackr(n·hawaii.rr.com

2 Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia

Abstract - A new soleid fish, Aseraggocles crvpticus, is described from twospecimens, 35.7-48.6 mm in standard length, collected from 15-25 m atChristmas Island, Indian Ocean. Previously confused with A melanostictus(Peters), it is distinct in having 76-79 dors,{I-fin rays, 56-59 anal-fin ravs, 66­70 lateral-line scales, no branches of the lateral line on the head, 37 vertebrae,12-13 dorsal pterygiophores anterior to the fourth neural spine, no caudalpeduncle, pelvic fins free from anal fin and genital papilla, and a stronglyvanegated ocular-side colour pattern.

INTRODUCTION AND METHODS

Alien and Steene (1979: 65) reported Aseraggodesmelanostictus (Peters) from one specimen taken in16-18 m at Christmas Island in the eastern IndianOcean, adding that it was a new record for theIndian Ocean. Allen and Steene (1988: 156, upperright figure) illustrated the species in colour from asecond specimen from Christmas Island. The twospecimens are deposited in the Western AustralianMuseum, Perth (WAM).

On learning that Aseraggodes melanostictus(Peters) is known only from the holotype taken in78 m off the island of Bougainville (Randall, 2005;Randall and Con, 2005), Alien re-examined hisChristmas Island specimens and decided they wereincorrectly identified. The specimens were ;ent onloan to Randall who recognised them as anundescribed species. We describe this new solehere.

Methods of counting and measuring specimensfollow Randall (2005).

SYSTEMATICS

Family Soleidae

Genus Aseraggodes Kaup

Aseraggodes Kaup, 1858: 103 (type speciesAseraggodes guttulatus Kaup)

DiagnosisDorsal-fin ravs anal-fin rays 39-61; caudal-

fin rays typically 18 (usually 14-16 branched inadults); no pectoral fins; pel~ic-fin rays normally56; lateral-line scales 39-96 (inc1u"ding thos~'extending onto head); no gill rakers; vertebrae 33-

40; 7-16 dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourthneural spine; body depth 2,0-2.8 in SL; head length2.9-5.1 in SL; eyes on right side, elevated, separatedby a narrow scaled space; upper eye in advance oflower eye (rarely directly above); eyes small, 3.8-8.3in head length; caudal peduncle, if present, veryshort; two nostrils on each side, the anterior nostrilof both sides tubular, not more than one eyediameter in length; posterior nostril of ocular sid~ anarrow opening in labial groove before lower eye,covered dorsally by skin or membrane; scales small,ctenoid; a straight lateral line midlaterally on bothsides of body; branches of cephalic lateralis systemon blind side often obscure, the cephalodorsalbranch (supratemporal branch of some authors)from front of snout along base of dorsal fingenerally the most evident; a very small sensorypore, usually at end of a small papilla, on snoutabove base of tubular anterior nostril at about levelof ventral edge of upper eye; gill membranesunited, free from isthmus, the lower part of headscaled over from ocular to blind side; mouth ventraland small, the jaws strongly curved; a band ofvilliform teeth on blind side of jaws, but not onocular side (except one to two rows of tiny teeth onocular side of upper jaw of A. dubius); ~iorsal finoriginating anteriorly on snout, the first ray notprolonged; no pore a"t base of dorsal and anal rays;caudal fin not connected by membrane to dor~aland anal fins, the fin rounded (may seem rhomboidif rays not spread), the fin length 2.7-5.8 in SL;pelvic fins on ventral edge of body, close togetheranteriorly, the origins adjacent or with ocular-sidefin slightly anterior; anus anterior or ventroanteriorto first anal ray; sciatic part of urohyal forming anangle of about 60 to 90C to horizontal main part ofbone.

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Aseraggodes crypticus sp. novoFigure 1; Table I

HolotypeWAM P.28990-020, 35.7 mm, Indian Ocean,

Christmas Island, 100 26'S, 105°40'E, 15-25 m,rotenone, G.R AlIen and RC. Steene, 20 May 1986.

ParatypeWAM P.26108-016, 48.6 mm, Christmas Island,

Flying Fish Cove, 100 29'S, 105°40'E, 16-18 m,rotenone, G.R AlIen and RC. Steene, 30 May 1978.

DiagnosisDorsal-fin rays 76-79; anal-fin rays 56-59, all

dorsal and anal rays branched except for first fewdorsal rays; lateral-line scales 70-76; vertebrae 37;dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neuralspine 12-13; body depth 2.2-2.45 in SL; head length4.05-4.15 in SL; caudal peduncle absent; snoutlength 2.85-2.9 in head length; eye diameter 5.35­5.9 in head length; interorbital space narrow, 12.4­17.2 in head length; longest dorsal ray 1.6-1.7 inhead length; caudal fin 4.15 in SL; pelvic fins notconnected to anal fin or genital papilla, reachingbase of third anal ray, 1.9-2.0 in head length; mostscales of body with 10-12 cteni that project wellbeyond scale margin; ocular-side of snout fullyscaled, the scales progressively smaller anteriorly,the cteni replaced anteriorly by small cirri; ocularside when fresh mottled pale yellowish and lightbrown with many irregular dark brown blotches.

DescriptionDorsal rays 79 (76), branched except first few

dorsal rays; anal rays 59 (56), all branched; caudalrays 18; all but uppermost and lowermost branched,14 (16) double-branched; pelvic rays 5, all branched;

J.E. RandalI, G.R. AlIen

lateral-line scales 70 (76), including 8 anterior to avertical at upper end of gill opening; no branches oflateral line on ocular side of head; scales abovelateral line about 25; scales below lateral line about27; vertebrae 37; dorsal pterygiophores beforefourth neural spine 13 (12), with 3 pterygiophores,including the erisme, before tip of second neuralspine, 6 (7) in space between second and thirdneural spines; and 3 in space between third andfourth neural spines; ventroanterior margin of theurohyal forming an angle of about 80°, the innerangle broadly rounded.

Proportional measurements as percentages of SLprovided in Table 1. Body depth 2.45 (2.2) in SL;body greatly compressed, the width 4.9 (5.6) inbody depth; head length 4.15 (4.05) in SL; no caudalpeduncle (base of last anal ray below or posterior tobase to of lowermost caudal ray); depth of caudal­fin base 1.75 (1.85) in head length; snout length 2.85(2.9) in head length; preorbital length 3.2 (4.0) inhead length; eye diameter 5.35 (5.9) in head length;eyes separated by a narrow concave space, the leastvertical interorbital width 17.2 (12.4) in head length;upper eye overlapping one-half (seven-eighths) oflower eye; upper end of gill opening at level of aline passing about one-half eye diameter belowlower eye.

Mouth inferior, the jaws strongly curved; maxillaextending a little posterior to a vertical at anterioredge of pupil of lower eye, the upper-jaw length 3.0(2.95) in head length; jaws on blind side with a bandof very small villiform teeth in about 6 rows atwidest place, the teeth in about posterior three­fourths of lower jaw and about posterior half ofupper jaw; tubular anterior nostril slender, in frontof upper edge of lower eye, reaching dark edge ofeye when depressed posteriorly, its length aboutequal to eye diameter; posterior nostril of ocularside a small aperture in groove below front of lower

Figure 1 Holotype of Aseraggodes crypticus sp. nov., WAM P.28990-020, 35.7 mm, Christmas Island. Photograph byG.R. Allen.

A new Sole from Christmas Island

eye; anterior nostril of blind side a very slendertubule just above upper lip nearly to middle ofupper jaw, its length equal to about one-half eyediameter; posterior nostril of blind side a shortstrongly tapering tubule nearly an eye diameterdorsoposterior to anterior nostril; an indistinctsmall sensory pore with a fleshy rim above front ofbase of anterior nostril at level of ventral edge ofupper eye.

Scales ctenoid, most on body with 10-12 cteni thatextend well beyond edge of scales; scales on ocularside of snout progressively smaller anteriorly, soonlosing cteni, those anteriorly and in a broad ventralzone of blind side of snout and ventral edge of headwith numerous slender cirri, none longer than pupildiameter; opercular edge of gill opening on blindside with a row of slender cirri that areprogressively shorter dorsally; cirri on ocular sideof edge of gill opening present only ventrally; eyesseparated by two rows of scales, with one to fourrows of small scales extending onto medial andanterior edges; a broad zone of fleshy papillaeabove and below mouth on blind side; lateral linestraight on both sides along middle of body, onocular side in alignment with upper eye whenprojected forward; cephalic lateralis system of blindside obscure except cephalodorsal branch thatcontinues basal to dorsal fin about half way back onbody.

Dorsal and anal fins with a basal sheath of twoto three rows of scales, followed by progressivelysmaller scales that extend well out on raysanteriorly on blind side, progressively fewer

111

posteriorly; scales extending out on dorsal fin ofocular side only on about first 20 rays and onlyon first few rays of anal fin; five to six rows ofprogressively smaller scales extending out onbase of caudal fin, before narrowing to smallslender scales along rays; a fleshy membranousridge on dorsal and anal rays not well developed;no cirri present along edge of dorsal- and anal-finrays.

Origin of dorsal fin (base of first dorsal-fin ray)anterior to upper eye, the predorsal length 4.1 inhead length; first dorsal ray 3.45 (3.5) in headlength; longest dorsal-fin ray 1.6 (1.7) in headlength; origin of anal fin below base of nineteenthdorsal-fin ray, the preanal length 3.55 in SL; anusanterior to first anal-fin ray; genital papilla onocular side at base of first anal ray; length of firstanal-fin ray 3.0 (3.05) in head length; longest anal­fin ray 1.6 (1.7) in head length; caudal fin 4.15 in SL;origin of pelvic fins close together on ventral edgeof body, the prepelvic length 4.9 (4.65) in SL; thirdand fourth pelvic rays longest, reaching base ofthird anal ray, 1.9 (2.0) in head length.

Colour of ocular side of holotype in alcohol paleyellowish with numerous very irregular darkbrown blotches, the largest mainly in threelongitudinal rows, one below dorsal fin, one aboveanal fin, and one along lateral line; median fins withbrown blotches along base; colour of blind side paleyellowish grey.

Colour of ocular side of holotype when freshmottled pale yellowish and light brown with manyirregular dark brown blotches.

Proportional measurements of the holotypeand para type of Aseraggodes crypticus sp.novo as percentages of the standard length

Table 1

Standard length (mm)Body depthBody widthHead lengthSnout lengthPreorbital lengthEye diameterInterorbital widthUpper-jaw lengthBase of caudal finPredorsal lengthPreanal lengthPrepelvic lengthFirst dorsal-fin ray

dorsal-fin rayFirst anal-fin rayLongest anal-fin rayCaudal-fin lengthPelvic-fin length

Holotype

WAMP28900

35.740.7

8.324.1

8.47.64.51.47.0

13.75.9

28.020.470

1498.1

15.024.012.6

Paratype

WAMP26108

48.645.3

8.124.7

8.66.24.22.08.4

13.36.0

28121.671

14.58.1

14.5broken

12.3

EtymologyThis species is named crypticus from the Greek

krypto meaning hide or conceal, in reference to theconcealment provided by the very mottled colourpattern.

RemarksAseraggodes crypticus is presently known only

from Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean.The type series was first identified as A.melanostictus (Peters), a species described in 1877from one specimen collected from 73 m off theisland of Bougainville. Woods in Schultz et al.(1966) identified a specimen from the lagoon ofKwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as A.melanostictus. However, Randall and Bartsch (2005)determined that it was a new species, which theynamed A. heralcli. They provided comparison withthe holotype of Solea melanosticta (ZMB 9814, 72.5mm SL) housed in the Museum fLir Naturkunde,Universitat Humboldt in Berlin. Randall (2005)provisionally identified a sole in the AustralianMuseum, AMS 1.24499-003, 86 .5 mm SL, dredgedin! 15 m near North Reef, Great Barrier Reef (23 0 8'S,IS2°12'E) as A. melanostictus.

112

Aseraggodes crypticus shares many features withthe holotype of A. me1anostictus. The meristicvalues are sufficently similar to be expected withinthe range of melanostich.ls if a large series of thelatter were available. Slight differences inproportional measurements could be related to thedifferent size of the specimens, with those of A.me1anosticrus being much larger. Two charactersthat positively eliminate A. crypticus as specimensof me1anostich.ls are the branched dorsal and analrays (unbranched in A. melanostictus) and theabsence of cirri along the edges of dorsal and analrays (present in A. melanosticrus).

J.E. Randall, G.R. Allen

REFERENCES

Alien, C.R. and Steene, R.e. (1979). The fishes ofChristmas Island. Australian National Parks andWildlife Service Special Publication 2: 1-81.

Alien, C.R. and Steene, R.e. (1988). Fishes of ChristmasIsland Indian Ocean. Christmas Island NaturalHistory Association, Christmas Island, Australia. 197pp.

Randall, ].E. (2005). A review of the soles of the genusAseraggodes from the South Pacific, with descriptionsof seven new species and a diagnosis of the genusSyndidopus. Memoirs ofMuseum Victoria 62(2): 191­212.

Randall, ].E. and Bartsch, P. (2005). Two new soleid fishesof the genus Aseraggodes from Micronesia, with arecord of A. smithi from Palau. Micronesica 38(2):125-139.

Randall, ].E. and Con, O. (2005). Review of the soles ofthe genus Aseraggodes of the western Indian Ocean,with descriptions of three new species. Israel Journalof Zoology 51: 165-190.

Manuscript accepted 25 June 2007

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Records of the Western Australian MuseumVolume 24 Part 1 2007

CONTENTS

AlIan H. BurbidgeWhat was the Jarnadup Bristlebird? ]

Mark S. Harvey and Karen L. EdwardThree new species of cavernicolous goblin spiders (Araneae, Oonopidae)from Australia 9

Brian MortonThe evolution of the watering pot shells (Bivalvia: Anomalodesmata:Clavagellidae and Penicillidae) ] 9

Natalie R. FranklinAboriginal engravings in the southwest of Western Australia:analysis of the Kybra Site 65

John E. RandalILeptachirus, a new soleid fish genus from New Guinea and northernAustralia, with descriptions of eight new species 8]

John E. RandalI and Gerald R. AlIenAseraggodes crypticus, a new Sole (Pleuronectiformes: Soleidae) fromChristmas Island, Indian Ocean ] 09

Dates of Publication

Records of the Western Australian Museum

Volume 23, Part 1'Volume 23, Part 2Volume 23, Part 3Volume 23, Part 4

11 April 2006] 9 July 200622 February 200726 July 2007