JapaneseJapaneseSociety Society ofSystematicof Systematic Zoology Species Diversity, 2006, 11. 295 306 Rediagnosis of the Marbled Flathead, Platycephalus marmora- tus (Actinopterygii: Teleostei: Platycephalidae), with Comments on the Composition of the Type Series Hisashi Imamura 7:he Hbkkaido Uhiversity Museum, thculty ofFisheries, Hbkkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Htikodate, HOhkaido, 041-8611 Japan E-mail:
[email protected] (Received 8 May 2ee6; Accepted 30 August 2006) The taxonomic characters of the marbled flathead, Platycephalus mar- moratus Stead, 1908, are described and evaluated. In addition to the marbled body and dark brown to black caudal fin, the fo11owing combination of char- acters separates it from the other 14 species of the genus Platycephalus: 13 second dor$al and anal fin rays; 63-70 scales in the Iateral line, with all pored scales lacking spines; snout and interorbit naked; no strong canine teeth on the jaws, palatines, and vomer; interopercular fiap absent; and skinny sen- sory tubes on the suborbitals and preopercle partially covering the cheek re- gion. It has been confirmed that the type series of the species was composed of the holotype and one paratype, although the paratype is presumably no lenger extant, Key Words: Actinepterygii, Platycephalidae, Pla(ycqphaius marmoratus, taxonomic characters, diagnosis, redescription, paratype. Introduction Stead (1908) described a new species of flathead, Platycephalus marmoratus "marbled Stead, 1908, and proposed flathead" as its English name, in reference to the marbled markings on the body and head. No other species of Platycephalus Bloch, 1795 [sensu Imamura (1996), who synonymized IVeqplatycqphalus Castelnau, 1872 under the genus] has a marbled patter'n on the body and head.