(Family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia with Description of a New Species
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AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS Choat, J. Howard, and J. E. Randall, 1986. A revision of the parrotfishes (family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia with description of a new species. Records of the Australian Museum 38(4): 175–239, coloured plates 1–11. [Published 1 December 1986, cover marked 1 December 1985]. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.38.1986.181 ISSN 0067-1975 Published by the Australian Museum, Sydney naturenature cultureculture discover discover AustralianAustralian Museum Museum science science is is freely freely accessible accessible online online at at www.australianmuseum.net.au/publications/www.australianmuseum.net.au/publications/ 66 CollegeCollege Street,Street, SydneySydney NSWNSW 2010,2010, AustraliaAustralia Records of the Australian Museum (1986) Vo!. 38: 175-228 175 A Review of the Parrotfishes (Family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia with Description of a New Species J. HOWARD CHOATa AND JOHN E. RANDALI} aDepartment of Zoology, University of Auckland, PB Auckland, New Zealand* bBishop Museum, Box 19000-A, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817, USA. ABSTRACT. The family Scaridae is represented on the tropical and subtropical coasts of eastern Australia by 25 previously described species. Three species belong in the subfamily Sparisomatinae: Leptosearus vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard); Calotomus earolinus (Valenciennes); Calotomus spinidens (Quoy & Gaimard). The remainder are included in the subfamily Scarinae: Bolbometopon murieatum (Valenciennes); Cetosearus bieolor (Ruppell); Hipposearus longieeps (Valenciennes); Searus altipinnis (Steindachner); Searus bleekeri (de Beaufort); Searus dimidiatus Bleeker; Searus flavipeetoralis Schultz; Searus forsteni (Bleeker); Searus frenatus Lacepede; Searus frontalis Valenciennes; Searus ghobban Forssk3I; Searus gibbus Ruppell; Searus globieeps Valenciennes; Searus longipinnis Randall & Choat; Searus niger Forsskal; Searus ovieeps Valenciennes; Searus psittaeus Forsskal; Searus pyrrhurus (Jordan & Seale); Searus rivulatus Valenciennes; Searus rubroviolaeeus Bleeker; Searus sehlegeli (Bleeker); Searus sordidus Forssk3J; Searus spinus Kner. The scarid from Australian waters previously misidentified as Searus lunula (a synonym of Searusfestivus Valenciennes) represents an undescribed species Searus chameleon, described herein. Searus chameleon has a distribution that includes the western and southern Pacific. It is similar to S.festivus but differs in patterns of head and body colouration in the terminal phase, and in the head profile. All but three species listed above are most commonly encountered on the coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef and the adjacent coral sea. The exceptions are the sparisomatine species Leptosearus vaigiensis and Calotomus spinidens, and the scarinine species Searus ghobban. The former two species are often associated with seagrass beds in coastal areas, while Searus ghobban frequents a variety of non reef habitats. Many of the species listed extend into northern and western Australian waters. Additional collecting is required to establish the limits and identities of the entire Australian scarid . fauna. Colour photographs of fresh specimens illustrating the different colour phases of all 27 species are provided. In addition, underwater colour photographs of most species are provided with an emphasis on those which show confusing patterns of short term variation in the initial colour phase. Illustrations of the juvenile phase are provided for some species. CHOAT, 1.H. & 1.E. RANDALL, 1986. A review of the parrotfishes (Family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, with description of a new species. Records of the Australian Museum 38(4): 175-239. CONTENTS Abstract 175 Introduction ................................................................... 176 Materials and Methods .......................................................... 177 Historical Review and Nomenclature of Australian Species .......................... 179 Zoo geography and Distribution .................................................. 184 Colour Phases and Reproduction ................................................. 188 Key to the Scarids of the Great Barrier Reef ....................................... 189 'Present Address: Department of Marine Biology, lames Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia 176 Records of the Australian Museum 38 Calotomus earolinus (Valenciennes) ................................................ 193 Calotumus spinidens (Quoy & Gaimard) ........................................... 194 Leptosearus vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard) .......................................... 194 Cetosearus bieolor (Riippell) ...................................................... 195 Hipposearus longieeps (Valenciennes) .............................................. 196 Bolbometopon murieatum (Valenciennes) ........................................... 197 Searus altipinnis (Steindachner) ................................................... 198 Searus bleekeri (De Beaufort) ..................................................... 199 Searus chameleon n.sp ........................................................... 199 Searus dimidiatus Bleeker ........................................................ 203 Searus flavipeetoralis Schultz ..................................................... 204 Searus forsteni (Bleeker) ......................................................... 204 Searus frenatus Lacepede .. .. 205 Searus frontalis Valenciennes ..................................................... 206 Searus ghobban (Forsskal) ........................................................ 207 Searus gibbus Riippell ........................................................... 209 Searus globieeps Valenciennes ..................................................... 210 Searus longipinnis Randall & Choat ............................................... 211 Searus niger (Forsskru) ........................................................... 213 Searus ovieeps Valenciennes ...................................................... 214 Searus psittaeus (Forsskru) ........................................................ 215 Searus pyrrhurus (Jordan & Seale) ................................................ 216 Searus rivulatus Valenciennes ..................................................... 217 Searus rubroviolaeeus Bleeker ..................................................... 219 Searus sehlegeli (Bleeker) ......................................................... 220 Searus sordidus (Forsskal) ........................................................ 221 Searus spinus (Kner) ............................................................. 222 Acknowledgements .............................................................. 223 References ...................................................................... 223 The Scaridae, a family of labroid fishes, are highly both taxonomically and ecologically and we prefer to characteristic of coral reef habitats. With few exceptions maintain this distinction at the f amiliallevel. We do not their geographical distribution is linked to that of accept the argument of Kaufman & Liem (1982) that tropical reef environments. The number of species of places the Labridae and Scaridae within the same scarids is not great when compared with other families family. of tropical perciform fishes. However, their relatively We follow Bruce & Randall (1985) in recognizing two large size, complex patterns of colour change, and subfamilies of Scaridae, the Sparisomatinae which conspicuous grazing habit have resulted in a continuing includes the genera Leptosearus and Calotomus, and interest in this group by ichthyologists and reef the Scarinae. The latter subfamily includes all the species biologists generally. characteristic of reef environments and constitutes the All members of the family Scaridae possess a main focus of this review. Sparisomatine parrotfishes continuous dorsal fin with 9 flexible spines and 10 soft are more likely to be encountered in non-reef rays, and an anal fin with 3 flexible spines and 9 soft environments such as seagrass beds and are not rays; pectoral fins have 2 unbranched rays (the first important members of the Great Barrier Reef fauna. always rudimentary) and 11-15 branched rays. Body Very few sparisomatine parrot fishes were observed or scales are always large and cycloid with 22-24 in the collected from eastern Australia. For structural details lateral line. There are 1-4 rows of cheek scales with of the three Australian species in this subfamily the varying numbers of scales in each row and 2-8 median reader is referred to the recent revision, Bruce & Randall predorsal scales. Gill rakers of scarids show considerable (1985). variation both within and between species. The number The generic classification of the Scarinae used here of gill rakers within a species will also vary with the size follows that of Randall & Bruce (1983). The genus of the individual. Bolbometopon Smith is restricted to a single species, Important structural and ecological characters are the murieatum; Searus bieolor Riippell is placed in fusion of teeth to form beak-like dental plates, a Cetosearus. We recognize Hipposearus Smith as a valid pharyngeal apparatus in which flattened teeth form a genus for Searus longieeps Valenciennes and refer the grinding mill, the absence of a true stomach, and a genus Searops Schultz to the synonymy of Searus herbivorous habit. A minority of species selectively Forsskal. graze living corals. The scarids