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VIMS Articles Virginia Institute of Marine Science

1991

A Larva Of The Poorly Known Serranid Fish Jeboehlkia-Gladifer (Teleostei, Serranidae, Epinephelinae)

Carol C. Baldwin Virginia Institute of Marine Science

G. David Johnson National Museum of Natural History

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Recommended Citation Baldwin, Carol C. and Johnson, G. David, A Larva Of The Poorly Known Serranid Fish Jeboehlkia-Gladifer (Teleostei, Serranidae, Epinephelinae) (1991). Fishery Bulletin, 89(3), 535-537. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsarticles/608

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in VIMS Articles by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. was drawn from the left side of the A Larva of the Poorly Known body, and myomeres were recon­ Serranld Fish Jeboehlkia gladifer structed from a combination of vertebrae (partially visible on the (Teleostel: Serranldae: EpinephelinaeJ * damaged right side ofthe body) and myomeres (partially visible on the Carole C. Baldwin left side of the body). Counts, mea­ Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science surements, and qualifications of College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point. Virginia 23062 morphometric features (e.g., mod­ erately deep, large) follow Leis and G. David Johnson Trnski (1989). Standard length is Division of Fishes, National Museum of Natural History abbreviated as SL; institutional Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560 acronyms are as listed in Leviton et al. (1985). The postflexion larva of J. gladi­ fer is laterally compressed, moder­ Jeboehlkia gladifer Robins, 1967, 201422) has the following counts: ately deep (body depth at pectoral was described from a single mature dorsal fin rays VIII,9; anal fin rays fin base 34.5% SL), and has a large female collected at 165m (90 fm) in III,7; pectoral fin rays 15; pelvic fin head (42.4% SL). The specimen the Caribbean Sea. Several addi­ rays 1,5; principal caudal fin rays 17 essentially is eviscerated, but the tional specimens have been col­ and vertebrae 24. The spinous dor­ anus is evident just posterior to lected recently in similarly deep sal fin in the larval specimen is in­ midbody (56.5% SL). The eye is waters of the Caribbean and west­ complete, but the larva clearly has round, moderately large, and great­ ern North Atlantic (R.G. Gilmore, nine dorsal-fin soft rays, a meristic er in diameter than the length of the Harbor Branch Found., Ft. Pierce, feature unique among Atlantic Epi­ snout (diameter of eye 11.0% SL, FL, pers. commun., Fall 1990). nephelinae to Jeboehlkia (see Ken­ length of snout 9.4% SL). The Robins (1967) noted a strong resem­ dall 1979, Table 1). Corroborating mouth is large, the maxilla reaching blance between J. gladifer and the the identification of this specimen just beyond middle of the eye. epinepheline genus Liopropoma, as Jeboehlkia is the presence of The distance between the dorsal but accorded the former generic seven anal-fin soft rays, 15 pectoral and ventral body margins of the status on the basis of absence of fin rays, and a thin, flexible, elon­ caudal peduncle is 15.7% SL (be­ pored lateral line scales. Several gate second dorsal fin spine. tween dashed lines on caudal pedun­ features of the holotype-its small Although Robins (1967) stated that cle in Figure 1), but the total depth size (40.8mm standard length, SL), the holotype has seven dorsal-fin of the peduncle is greater (18.6% elongate dorsal fin spine, produced spines and that the first spine is the SL between solid lines on caudal pelvic fin rays, and large eye­ elongate element, an examination peduncle in Figure 1). This dispar­ appear paedomorphic with respect of a radiograph of the holotype in­ ity is due to the presence of two to other epinephelines (Kendall dicates that the first spine is only an blade-like sheaths of modified tissue 1984). unexposed nubbin and was over­ that lie above and below the dorsal The following description oflarval looked by Robins; consequently, and ventral margins of the caudal Jeboehlkia is based on a single speci­ there is a total of eight (not seven) peduncle, respectively, and extend men, 10.2mm SL, collected between dorsal-fin spines. The tiny first from the posterior bases of the dor­ 10 and 300m in Atlantic slope water spine is the only element borne in sal and anal fins to the caudal fin. off New York (MCZ 81740, Fig. 1). supernumerary association with the This tissue contains numerous small The specimen is in poor condition, first dorsal fin pterygiophore, and globules (of fat?). Tissue with a sim­ lacks pigment (but possibly it is the elongate (second) spine in larval ilar appearance covers the procur­ naturally unpigmented), and is bent Jeboehlkia is serially associated rent rays of the caudal fin and ap­ in half at midbody; nonetheless, it with the first dorsal pterygiophore, pears along the lengths of most is identifiable as J. gladifer on the a hallmark of all known larvae of principal caudal fin rays, on the rays basis of counts and morphology the Epinephelinae. of the soft dorsal and anal fins, and of fin rays. The holotype (USNM The specimen was illustrated (flat­ on the head. tened right-side-up beneath a glass microscope slide) with the aid of a • Contribution 1650 ofthe Virginia Institute camera lucida and then photograph­ Manuscript accepted 30 January 1991. of Marine Science. ically reversed. The pectoral fin Fishery Bulletin. U.S. 89:535-537 (1991).

535 536 Fishery Bulletin 89(3), 1991

FIgure 1 Larva ofJeboehlkia g/.a.difer, MCZ 81740, 10.2mm SL. collected in the western North Atlantic Ocean (40 0 42.0'N, 65°00.3'W).

The longest ray of the pectoral fin measures 15.1% adult complement of 4+4, as determined from a SL, but all rays appear broken, and the original length radiograph of the holotype. The pelvic fin bears one of the fin is unknown. Pelvic fin rays also appear spine and five soft rays, the medialmost two of which broken, but the first soft rayon the right side and are closely approximated. All fin spines are smooth. second on the left side are clearly produced. Robins There are six prominent smooth preopercular spines, (1967) noted that the first two pelvic rays are very the four on the lower limb becoming increasingly elongate in the holotype, and both are probably antrorse anteriorly. Robins (1967) noted the presence elongate in intact larvae. of three strong antrorse spines on the lower limb of The elongate second dorsal-fin spine is thin, flexible, the preopercle in the holotype. Our examinations in­ and covered with a sheath of tissue that is torn distally. dicate that the three anteriormost antrorse spines in Itmeasures 105% SL but is broken, and we are unable the larval specimen are very similar in morphology and to determine its original length. position to those of the holotype and thus provide There is a full complement of soft dorsal (9), anal additional corroborative evidence for the identification (111,7), pectoral (15), and principal caudal fin rays (9 +8). of the larval specimen as J. gladifer. Antrorse pre­ Only the first two dorsal fin spines are visible exter­ opercular spines are rare among larval epinephelines nally, but four additional tiny spines that have not yet (present in some larvae of the epinepheline tribe emerged through the skin are apparent in a radiograph Epinephelini, Leis 1986), and their presence in larval of the larva. The procurrent caudal fin rays are difficult J. gladifer, in combination with other characters, ap­ to see, but the specimen appears to have three in both pears diagnostic. The interopercle and supracleithrum the dorsal and ventral caudal lobes, two fewer than the each bear one well-developed smooth spine, and a NOTE Baldwin and Johnson: LaNa of the serranid fish Jeboehlkia gladifer 537 single small spine is present on the subopercle; spines Citations are lacking on the lateral ridge of the preopercle and supraorbital ridge ofthe frontal. The frontal bones bear Baldwin, C.C.• G.D. Johnson, and P.L. Colin a conspicuous "golfball-like" pattern ofvery small pits 1991 Larvae of Diploprion bifasC'iatum. Belonoperca ckaba· (not illustrated in Figure 1), not nearly so prominent Mudi and Grammistes sexlineatus (Serranidae: Epinephelinae) with a comparison of known larvae of other epinephelines. Bull. as the raised network ofridges (rugosity) found in some Mar. Sci. 48. anthiine and epinephelin serranids. Scales are lacking Johnson. G.D. and presumably have not yet formed. 1983 Niphun spinosus: A primitive epinepheline serranid, with The relationship of JeboehUria to other Epinephelinae comments on the monophyly and intrarelationships of the Ser­ is unclear. Robins (1967) regarded it as a close relative ranidae. Copeia 1983:777-787. Kendall, A.W. Jr. of Liopropoma. Johnson (1983), following Robins, in­ 1979 Morphological comparisons ofNorth American sea bass cluded it in his tribe Liopropomini, but did not examine larvae (Pisces: Serranidae).NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS Cire. 428, the holotype. The presence in larval Jeboehlkia of a 50 p. single (vs. two in Liopropoma) elongate filamentous 1984 Serranidae: Development and relationships. In Moser, dorsal fin spine, robust (vs. weak) spines on the medial H.G., et al. (eds.l, Ontogeny and systematics of fishes, p. 499-510. Spec. Pub!. 1, Am. Soc. Ichthyo!. Herpetol., Allen preopercular ridge, and absence (vs. presence) of spines Press, Lawrence KS. on the lateral preopercular ridge suggest affinities with Leis, J.M. Johnson's (1983) Grammistini (see Baldwin et al. 1991), 1986 Larval development in four species of Indo-Pacific coral and some aspects of adult morphology corroborate this. trout Pl.ectropomus (Pisces: Serranidae: Epinephelinae) with A cladistic analysis of epinepheline genera based on an analysis of relationships of the genus. Bull. Mar. Sci. 38:525-552. larval and adult morphology, which should elucidate Leis, J.M., and T. Trnski the proper phylogenetic placement of Jeboehlkia, is in 1989 The larvae of Indo-Pacific shorefishes. New South Wales progress. Univ. Press, Sydney, and Univ. Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 371 p. Leviton, A.E., R.H. Gibbs Jr., E. Heal, and C.E. Dawson 1985 Standards in herpetology and ichthyology: PartI. Stan­ dard symbolic codes for institutional resource collections in Acknowledgments herpetology and ichthyology. Copeia 1985:802-832. Robins, C.R. We thank David Smith (USNM, formerly of MCZ) for 1967 The status ofthe serranid fish Liopropoma oherra1lJJ, with loaning us several lots oflarval epinephelines (originally the description of a new, apparently related genus. Copeia Wood's Hole collections) in which the larval specimen 1967:591-595. of Jeboehlkia was discovered. Martin R. Cavalluzzi, John E. Olney, and two anonymous reviewers made helpful comments on the manuscript.