Epinephelus tankahkeei Wu, Qu, Lin, Tang, and Ding 2020
- Dataset
- Epinephelus tankahkeei, a new species of grouper (Teleostei, Perciformes, Epinephelidae) from the South China Sea
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Wu, Haohao, Qu, Meng, Lin, Hungdu, Tang, Wei, Ding, Shaoxiong (2020): Epinephelus tankahkeei, a new species of grouper (Teleostei, Perciformes, Epinephelidae) from the South China Sea. ZooKeys 933: 125-137, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.933.46406, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.933.46406
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Chordata
- class
- Actinopterygii
- order
- Perciformes
- family
- Serranidae
- genus
- Epinephelus
- species
- Epinephelus tankahkeei
description
Description. Dorsal-fin rays XI, 16 (16 - 18); anal-fin rays III, 8; pectoral-fin rays 16 (16 or 17); lateral-line scales 51 (47 - 51); lateral scale series 123 (111 - 123); gill rakers 10 (10 - 11) + 15 (14 - 16); vertebra 24; body slightly elongated and body depth less than head length. Body depth contained 3.2 (3.0 - 3.2) in standard length. Body laterally compressed and body width 2.6 (2.1 - 2.6) in body depth. Head length 2.7 (2.5 - 2.7) in SL; orbit diameter 6.1 (4.9 - 6.8) in head; snout length 3.8 (3.6 - 4.0) in head. Dorsal profile of head nearly straight except at the snout with a slight notch before eyes. Interorbital region convex, width 6.3 (5.6 - 7.2) in head; preorbital depth 7.8 (7.8 - 11.3) in head; caudal-peduncle length 1.9 (1.8 - 2.2) in head; caudal-peduncle depth 3.3 (3.2 - 3.7). Mouth large and lower jaw slightly projecting and oblique. Lower jaw 3.4 (3.4 - 3.9) in head length; upper jaw 2.4 (2.3 - 2.5) in head. Maxilla slightly extending to rear edge of eye and posterior edge of maxilla slightly rounded. Maxilla width 8.1 (7.9 - 9.2) in head. One or two pairs of canine teeth at anterior part of the upper and lower jaw. Teeth of lower jaw form two rows and expand anteriorly into three rows; teeth in the outer side are larger than the inner side. Villiform teeth present on vomer and palatines. Tongue slender and sharp at tip. Longest gill raker was greater in length than longest gill filament. Nostrils round and posterior nostril larger than anterior nostril. Anterior nostril with a membranous flap. Three spines on operculum, topmost and undermost small, the middle the largest. Tip of middle spine extending farther towards tail than tip of lower spine. Upper edge of opercular membrane slightly convex coming to a rounded point posteriorly. Preopercle rounded with four to five prominent spines at angle and with numerous fine serrae while increasing in size downward. Lateral line starting from posterior opercle and slightly arched over pectoral region. Scales on head, thorax, abdomen, anterodorsal part of body and fin membranes weakly ctenoid. Auxiliary scales absent. Small scales present on inner margins of dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins and not extending to the rear margin area. Origin of dorsal fin before pectoral-fin base. Membranes of spinous portion of dorsal fin slightly incised. First dorsal spine contained 1.9 (1.6 - 2.0) times in second spine; second spine 1.2 (1.2 - 1.5) times in longest spine (third and fourth spine); longest spine contained 2.6 (2.6 - 3.1) in head length. Longest soft dorsal ray 2.4 (2.3 - 2.8) in head. Anal-fin origin below origin of first soft dorsal ray. First anal spine 2.0 (1.9 - 2.3) times in second anal spine; second anal spine 1.2 (1.1 - 1.4) times in third anal spine; third anal spine longest 3.5 (3.0 - 4.1) in head. Longest anal-fin rays 2.1 (1.9 - 2.5) in head. Caudal fin convex, 1.7 (1.6 - 2.0) in head. Middle pectoral rays longest, 1.8 (1.7 - 1.9) in head and reaching to base of 9 th dorsal spine. Origin of pelvic fin slightly posterior to pectoral-fin base.
diagnosis
Diagnosis. Epinephelus tankahkeei sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other Indo-Pacific Epinephelus species by the following characteristics: dorsal-fin rays XI, 16 - 18 (vs. 14 - 15 in Epinephelus gabriellae); anal-fin rays III, 8; pectoral-fin rays 16 or 17; lateral-line scales 47 - 51 (vs. 65 - 72 in Epinephelus polylepis); caudal fin convex (vs. slightly emarginate or truncate caudal fin in E. chlorostigma, Epinephelus areolatus, Epinephelus bleekeri, and Epinephelus geoffroyi); anal fin rounded (vs. angular anal fin in E. chlorostigma, and E. geoffroyi); membranes of spinous portion of dorsal fin slightly incised; head (except chest), body (except abdomen), and fins (pectoral fin spotted only basally) with numerous, irregular, close-set, dark brown spots, becoming more widely spaced on the lower part, the ground color forming a pale network (vs. lager spots in Epinephelus miliaris, and E. areolatus); rear margin of the caudal fin without a narrow white line (vs. a clear white margin posteriorly on the caudal fin in E. chlorostigma, and E. areolatus).
distribution
Distribution and habitat. The new species was recently observed in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Similar to other congeners, E. tankahkeei is a reef-associated species that feeds on fishes and invertebrates.
etymology
Etymology. Epinephelus tankahkeei is named after Tan Kah Kee (1874 - 1961), who was a famous overseas Chinese educator, philanthropist, and social activist and the founder of Xiamen University and Jimei School, in honor of his significant contribution to the motherland.