A Pictorial Review of the Indo-Pacific Labrid Fish Genus Pseudocoris, with Description of a New Species from the Coral Sea

aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology

A pictorial review of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris, with description of a new species from the Coral Sea

John E. Randall 1 and Fenton Walsh 2

1) Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, HI 96817-2704, USA Email: [email protected] 2) Northern Barrier Marine Life, 29 Miles St., Cairns, Qld. 4870, Australia Email: [email protected]

Received: 26 October 2007 – Accepted: 18 January 2008

Abstract phases adultes. Des photos couleurs sont fournies, de Pseudocoris aequalis is described as a new species of labrid juvéniles, de mâles en phase initiale et en phase terminale, fish collected from 8-15 m depth at Holmes Reef in the des cinq autres espèces du genre, avec des notes sur leur Coral Sea. The description is based on six specimens, four as distribution. Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata est signalé, pour terminal males, 100-112 mm SL, and two as males in the la première fois, en Australie, sur base d’un mâle en phase initial phase, 82 and 89 mm SL. The new species is distinct terminale, collecté à Holmes Reef. in lacking an elevated anterior part of the dorsal in the ter - minal-male phase, and the color pattern of both adult Sommario phases. Color photographs are provided of the juveniles, ini - Pseudocoris aequalis è descritta come nuova specie di tial-phase, and terminal males of the five other species of the labride raccolta a profondità di 8-15 m a Holmes Reef nel genus, with notes on their distribution. Pseudocoris aurantio - Mar dei Coralli. La descrizione è basata su sei esemplari, fasciata is recorded for the first time for Australia, based on quattro maschi terminali di 100-112 mm SL e due maschi a terminal male collected at Holmes Reef. nella fase iniziale di 82 and 89 mm SL. La nuova specie si distingue per la colorazione di entrambe le fasi adulte e Zusammenfassung perché il maschio in fase terminale non ha la parte anteri - Pseudocoris aequalis wird als neue Art der Lippfische ore della pinna dorsale elevata. Sono incluse fotografie a beschrieben, deren Vertreter in 8 bis 15 m Tiefe über dem colori degli stadi giovanili, iniziali e terminali maschili Holmes-Riff im Korallenmeer (Coral Sea) gesammelt wur - delle altre cinque specie del genere con note sulla loro dis - den. Sechs Exemplare dienten der Beschreibung zur Grund - tribuzione. Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata è segnalata per la lage: vier ausgewachsene Männchen mit 110-112 mm SL prima volta in Australia sulla base di un maschio terminale und zwei junge Männchen mit 82 und 89 mm SL. Die neue raccolto a Holmes Reef. Art unterscheidet sich dadurch, dass in der Phase des voll erwachsenen Tieres der Rücken vorne nicht erhaben ist und INTRODUCTION bei beiden Stadien ein anderes Farbmuster zu sehen ist. Auf The Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris was Farbfotos werden junge Männchen, solche des ersten proposed by Bleeker (1862) for a species he first Erwachsenen-Stadiums und solche der endgültigen Erwach - described as Julis (Halichoeres ) heteropterus in 1857 senen-Phase zu allen weiteren fünf Arten der Gattung gezeigt, zusammen mit Anmerkungen zu ihrer Verbreitung. from the Molucca Islands. The genus is similar to Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata wird auf der Grundlage eines voll Coris Lacépède, 1801, and some authors, such as erwachsenen Männchens vom Holmes-Riff zum ersten Mal Norman (1957), have treated Pseudocoris as a syn - für Australien belegt. onym of Coris . The two genera differ principally in dentition. The canine teeth of the species of Résumé Pseudocoris are smaller, the upper pair laterally Pseudocoris aequalis est décrit en tant que nouvelle espèce curved; there is no canine at the corner of the de labridé, collectée à une profondeur de 8 à 15 m, à mouth, and there are no enlarged pharyngeal teeth. Holmes Reef, dans la mer de Corail. La description se base sur six spécimens, quatre mâles adultes en phase terminale, Pseudocoris is believed to be an evolutionary off - 100-112 mm de LS, et deux mâles en phase initiale, 82-89 shoot from Coris for feeding on zooplankton. The mm de LS. La nouvelle espèce se distingue par l’absence species of Coris are benthic feeders on hard-shelled d’une partie antérieure prolongée de la dorsale pour le invertebrates, hence the need for strong nodular or mâle en phase terminale et le patron de coloration des deux molariform pharyngeal teeth, a feature not present

45 aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 A pictorial review of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris, with description of a new species from the Coral Sea in fishes that feed primarily on zooplankton. Guichenot, 1868 type species P. furcifer (Valenci - Other differences in Pseudocoris related to its food ennes, 1828). They appear to have arisen from the habits include a smaller mouth, shorter snout, and grouper stock of the genus Cephalopholis Bloch & the eye lower on the head (so predators can be seen Schneider, 1801, as indicated by the hybridization from below as well as above). However, the species of C. fulva (Linnaeus, 1758) and P. furcifer (Smith of Pseudocoris have not attained all of the morpho - 1966, Bostrom et al. 2002). logical features that are usually found in zooplank - Hubrecht (1876) described the second species of ton feeders. For example, their premaxilla is not Pseudocoris as Coris bleekeri, also from the Molucca more protrusible than the species of Coris , in gen - Islands. Schmidt (1931) named the third valid eral, and the gill rakers are not more numerous and species as Julis yamashiroi from a male specimen longer. There are several examples of plankton- from the Ryukyu Islands. He described J. awayae feeding fishes in different families that have in the same paper, now known to be the female of evolved from benthic-feeding ancestors (Davis & the species and regarded as the junior synonym. Birdsong 1973). The most noteworthy are the two Fourmanoir (1971) described the fourth species as New World species of the genus Paranthias P. aurantiofasciata from the Tuamotu Archipelago.

Fig. 1. Terminal male of Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata , BPBM 14987, 163 mm SL, Tetiaroa Atoll, Society Islands. Photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 2 . Initial phase of Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata , Gunung Api, Banda Sea. Underwater photo by J. E. Randall. aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 46 John E. Randall and Fenton Walsh

Chen & Shao (1995) added the fifth, P. ocellata, The six species of Pseudocoris are very similar from Taiwan. We describe here the sixth species of meristically, all with the same number of dorsal Pseudocoris from six specimens collected at Holmes and anal rays, gill rakers, and nearly the same num - Reef in the Coral Sea. ber of lateral-line scales. The most diverse in this The species of Pseudocoris form small aggregations respect is P. ocellata , having 13-15 pectoral rays from one to a few meters above the substratum instead of 13 (rarely 14 in some species), and 66- where they feed on zooplankton. Instead of swiftly 69 lateral-line scales, compared to 69-78 for the descending to shelter in the reef or rubble substra - other species. tum with the approach of a diver, they generally Species of Pseudocoris have been distinguished maintain distance in the water column. Because of mainly by color pattern. Because juveniles differ in the difficulty getting within spearing range, the color from adults, and initial-phase fish from ter - first author has at times resorted to shooting an minal males, it has taken time to link the stages of explosive-tipped spear to a nearby hard surface to the different species. We provide here photographs stun or kill a fish of this genus (an event not appre - of the growth stages of the six species. ciated by fellow divers if not forewarned). Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata (Figs 1-4) is the largest

Fig. 3. Juvenile of Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata , Palau, 82 m. Photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 4. Juvenile of Pseudocoris aurantiofasciata, Gunung Api, Banda Sea, 49 m. Underwater photo by J. E. Randall.

47 aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 A pictorial review of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris, with description of a new species from the Coral Sea species of the genus. One collected in 34 m by the Cocos-Keeling Islands (Allen & Smith-Vaniz 1994) first author in Rarotonga (BPBM 13084) measures in the eastern Indian Ocean; in the western Pacific 192 mm SL. The species ranges from the Tuamotu from Sagami Sea, Japan (Senou et al. 2006: 481), Archipelago (type locality, Rangiroa Atoll) to misidentified from Kochi Prefecture as P. heteropterus Christmas Island (Allen & Steene 1979) and by Masuda et al. (1975: 305, pl. 110, fig. J) and by

Fig. 5. Terminal male of Pseudocoris bleekeri, Cebu, Philippines. Underwater photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 6. Initial phase of Pseudocoris bleekeri, Cebu, Philippines. Underwater photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 7. Juvenile of Pseudocoris bleekeri, Sangihe Island, Indonesia. Underwater photo by J. E. Randall. aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 48 John E. Randall and Fenton Walsh

Masuda et al. (1984: 210, pl. 206, fig. A) to Flores, Lucipara Islands, and Lombok) to Ribbon Reef, Indonesia (Kuiter 2002: 178) and Holmes Reef, Queensland (from the second author’s photo pub - Coral Sea (QM I.38181, a terminal male 146 mm lished by Kuiter 2002: 177, fig. F). Also we report SL, the first record for Australia; the species is the species here from Holmes Reef in the Coral Sea reported only from Palau in Micronesia (Myers (BPBM 40875, 61.5 mm). The holotype (BMNH 1999), but the Bishop Museum has a specimen 1864.5.15.30, 160.5 mm SL) was examined at the (BPBM 40830, 35 mm SL) collected at Fais Island, Natural History Museum in London. Kuiter Caroline Islands by Brian D. Greene in 91 m; also (2002: 178) identified three photographs taken by from Wake Island (BPBM 38772, 4: 160-177 mm Dennis King in Kwazulu-Natal as Pseudocoris sp., SL) reported by Lobel & Lobel (2004). noting their similarity to P. heteroptera . However, The holotype (MNHN 1970-32, 167 mm SL) we believe these figures are P. heteroptera . Fig. A is was examined at the Muséum national d’Histoire the initial phase, not the terminal male, Fig. B. is naturelle in Paris. the initial phase, and Fig. C the juvenile. The juvenile of Fig. 3 was collected in Palau by Pseudocoris ocellata (Figs 12-14) was described John L. Earle at a depth of 82 m. In shallower from 11 specimens collected from reefs in southern water, the stripes of juveniles are dark reddish and northern Taiwan in 4-15 m. Senou et al. brown or dark brown instead of red, as shown in (2006: fig. 6) published an underwater color pho - Fig. 4 from a photograph taken in 49 m off tograph of the terminal male phase of P. ocellata Gunung Api in the Banda Sea and in a photograph taken at Izu-oshima at the southern edge of the at a depth of 45 m in the Ogasawara Islands Sagami Sea, Japan. (Senou & Morita 1993). Pseudocoris yamashiroi (Figs 15-17) is widely dis - Pseudocoris bleekeri (Figs 5-7) ranges from south - tributed from Mauritius (Allen & Steene 1987, pl. ern Indonesia to southern Japan (Kuiter 2002: 96, fig. 2, as Pseudocoris sp.), Maldives (Randall & 176, 7 figs). The holotype (RMNH 2168, 119 mm Anderson 1993: 35), and Chagos Archipelago SL), a male specimen from Ceram, was examined (Winterbottom et al. 1989: 56, pl. 8, fig. C) to at the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum in Lei - American Samoa (Wass 1984: 22), and throughout den. It was mistakenly illustrated as P. heteroptera Micronesia (Myers 1999: 200, pl. 127, fig. H, but by de Beaufort (1940: fig. 35). Fowler & Bean not Fig. I, a female of P. aurantiofasciata). In the (1928: 309) named Coris philippina from one spec - western Pacific it ranges from Kochi Prefecture, imen in the initial color phase of P. bleekeri Japan (Masuda et al. 1984: 210, pl. 205, figs. K, L) (USNM 89975, 85.5 mm) from Slade Island in to Sydney, NSW (Kuiter 2002: 175, Fig E) and the the Philippines. Schmidt (1931: 87, fig. 8) created Kermadec Islands (Francis 1993: 165). Also known another synonym when he described the terminal from Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef, Western Aus - male form as Julis albolumbata from two specimens tralia (Allen & Russell 1986: 94). It is the most from Okinawa. Masuda et al. (1984: pl. 205, fig. common species of the genus in museum collec - M) reported the species as rare in Japan and used a tions. The Bishop Museum has specimens from photograph of a terminal male taken by the first Madagascar, Mauritius, Maldives, Indonesia, author in the Philippines. Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Philippines, Pseudocoris heteroptera (Figs 8-11) is wide-ranging Okinawa, Ogasawara Islands, Marshall Islands, from the Seychelles (specimens from Aldabra, Palau, Loyalty Islands, Fiji, and Tonga. Poivre Atoll, and St. Joseph Atoll in the Bishop Figs 18-21 are photographs of type specimens of Museum) and the Chagos Archipelago (Winter - the new species of Pseudocoris described here. bottom et al. 1989: 55, pl. 8, fig. B) to Tahiti Evidence for the feeding on zooplankton by (Günther 1909: 283) and Kiritimati in the Line species of the genus Pseudocoris is provided here by Islands (aquarium photos by the first author of fish analysis of stomach contents of three of the species collected by Richard L. Pyle); in the western Pacific by the first author. Three specimens of P. het - from Madang Province, Papua New Guinea eroptera , 78-107 mm SL, from Papua New Guinea (BPBM 15851: 3: 78-108 mm), Bali and Flores in contained zooplankton, almost entirely copepods. Indonesia (Kuiter 2002: 177, figs A-E, G, H), Two 96-mm specimens of P. aurantiofasciata from other Indonesian localities represented by Bishop the Society Islands had eaten mainly copepods and Museum specimens: Tukanbesi Islands off appendicularian tunicates. The stomachs of two Sulawesi, Ambon, Gunung Api, Banda Islands, specimens of P. yamashiroi from the Marshall

49 aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 A pictorial review of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris, with description of a new species from the Coral Sea

Fig. 8. Terminal male of Pseudocoris heteroptera , Kiritimati, Line Islands. Aquarium photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 9. Initial phase of Pseudocoris heteroptera , Kiritimati, Line Islands. Aquarium photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 10. Juvenile of Pseudocoris heteroptera , BPBM 34202, 59 mm SL, Tukanbesi Islands, Sulawesi. Photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 11 . Juvenile of Pseudocoris heteroptera , BPBM 34200, 31 mm SL, Tukanbesi Islands, Sulawesi. Photo by J. E. Randall. aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 50 John E. Randall and Fenton Walsh

Islands contained copepods (40%), echinoid larvae Museum, Brisbane (QM); and the United States (35%), decapod larvae, pteropods, foraminiferans, National Museum of Natural History, Washing - heteropods, amphipods, and unidentified crus - ton, D.C. (USNM). tacean fragments. The length of specimens is given as standard length (SL), measured from the median anterior MATERIALS AND METHODS end of the upper lip to the base of the caudal fin Type specimens of the new species are deposited (posterior end of the hypural plate); body depth is in the Australian Museum, Sydney (AMS); Natural the greatest depth from the base of the dorsal History Museum, London (BMNH); Bernice P. spines to ventral edge of the abdomen (correcting Bishop Museum, Honolulu (BPBM); Queensland for any malformation of preservation); body width

Fig. 12. Holotype of Pseudocoris ocellata, ASIZP 56678, 110.8 mm SL, terminal male, Wanlitung, southern Taiwan, 15 m. Underwater photo by J.-P. Chen.

Fig. 13 . Paratype of Pseudocoris ocellata, BPBM 35751, female, 100.9 mm SL, Wanlitung, southern Taiwan, 15 m. Photo by J.-P. Chen.

Fig. 14. Paratype of Pseudocoris ocellata, BPBM 35752, juvenile, 40.2 mm SL, Yenliao, northeastern Taiwan, 4-5 m. Under - water photo by J.-P. Chen.

51 aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 A pictorial review of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris, with description of a new species from the Coral Sea

Fig. 15 . Terminal male of Pseudocoris yamashiroi, Kerama Island, Okinawa. Underwater photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 16 . Initial phase of Pseudocoris yamashiroi, D’Entrecasteaux Islands, Papua New Guinea. Underwater photo by J. E. Randall.

Fig. 17. Juvenile of Pseudocoris yamashiroi, Bali, Indonesia. Underwater photo by J. E. Randall. aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 52 John E. Randall and Fenton Walsh

Table I. Proportional measurements of type specimens of Pseudocoris aequalis as percentages of the standard length.

Holotype Paratypes QM QM BMNH AMS BPBM USNM I.38118 I.38119 07.10.23.2 I.44510 40659 384193 Sex TP male IP male IP male TP male TP male TP male Standard length (mm) 112 82 89 100 103 104 Body depth 27.6 23.2 23.0 24.4 26.6 25.5 Body width 13.8 11.2 11.3 11.8 11.6 11.7 Head length 32.2 30.0 29.8 30.2 30.1 31.2 Snout length 8.3 7.8 7.7 8.0 8.0 8.2 Orbit diameter 5.3 6.1 6.1 5.6 5.5 5.6 Interorbital width 6.7 6.2 6.2 6.5 6.5 6.3 Upper-jaw length 6.3 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.3 6.2 Caudal-peduncle depth 10.2 10.6 10.8 10.6 10.2 10.8 Caudal-peduncle length 12.3 11.0 11.2 12.3 11.1 10.8 Predorsal length 27.4 25.3 25.0 26.1 27.4 27.3 Preanal length 54.1 52.5 52.2 51.9 52.5 52.9 Prepelvic length 33.9 29.5 29.2 32.9 31.0 32.6 Dorsal-fin base 62.3 63.5 65.0 65.1 65.2 damaged First dorsal spine 7.9 7.1 8.0 8.1 7.8 7.7 Ninth dorsal spine 10.7 10.8 11.2 11.2 10.4 10.2 Longest dorsal ray 12.3 12.0 12.4 12.3 12.0 12.6 Anal-fin base 36.2 37.1 37.3 36.6 36.5 36.7 First anal spine 3.0 3.0 3.6 3.3 3.7 3.5 Second anal spine 5.9 5.2 5.7 6.7 6.8 5.7 Third anal spine 7.2 8.0 broken 8.1 8.0 7.7 Longest anal ray 10.0 10.6 10.8 9.7 10.1 damaged Caudal-fin length 19.6 19.7 19.0 20.6 18.2 damaged Caudal concavity 4.7 1.3 1.0 4.8 2.4 – Pectoral-fin length 21.5 20.4 20.5 20.2 18.8 19.4 Pelvic-spine length 10.1 9.3 9.4 10.7 9.5 10.8 Pelvic-fin length 15.0 12.8 13.3 14.9 12.9 14.7 is measured just posterior to the gill opening; head scale on the caudal-fin base. The count of the gill length is taken from the upper lip to the posterior rakers is made on the first gill arch; the raker at the end of the opercular flap; orbit diameter is the angle is contained in the lower-limb count. greatest fleshy diameter, and interorbital width the Meristic and morphometric data in parentheses least bony width; snout length is measured from refer to paratypes. the median anterior point of the upper lip to the nearest fleshy edge of the orbit; upper-jaw length from the same anterior point to the posterior end Pseudocoris aequalis n. sp. of the maxilla; caudal-peduncle depth is the least (Figs 18-21, Table I) depth, and caudal-peduncle length the horizontal distance between verticals at the rear base of the Holotype: QM I.38118, 112 mm, terminal male, anal fin and the caudal-fin base; lengths of spines Coral Sea, Holmes Reef, 16°27.0’S 147°51.50’E, and rays are measured to their extreme bases; cau - rubble and hard bottom, 8-10 m depth, barrier dal-fin and pectoral-fin lengths are the length of net, Cale Bennett, 10 August 2007. the longest ray; pelvic-fin length is measured from Paratypes: BMNH 2007.10.23.2, 89 mm and the base of the pelvic spine to the tip of the longest QM I.38119, 82 mm, initial-phase males, data as soft ray. in holotype; AMS I.44510-001, 100 mm, BPBM Morphometric data are presented in Table I as per - 40659, 103 mm, and USNM 384193, 104 mm, centages of the standard length. Proportional mea - terminal males, Holmes Reef, 16°27.0l8’S surements in the text are rounded to the nearest 0.5. 147°52.158’E, coral rubble bottom, 12-15 m Lateral-line scale counts include the last pored depth, barrier net, Tim Bennett, January 2007.

53 aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 A pictorial review of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris, with description of a new species from the Coral Sea

Fig. 18. Holotype of Pseudocoris aequalis , QM I.38118, terminal male, 112 mm SL, Holmes Reef, Coral Sea. Aquarium photo by F. Walsh.

Fig. 19. Head of holotype of Pseudocoris aequalis . Aquarium photo by F. Walsh. aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 54 John E. Randall and Fenton Walsh

Diagnosis: Dorsal rays IX,12; anal rays III,12; translucent; terminal male more melanistic, the pectoral rays 13; lateral-line scales 75-78; gill rak - dark stripe obscure, the caudal lobes as dark as base ers 5-6 + 12-14; body depth 3.6-4.35 in SL; dorsal of fin; dorsal fin dark brown with narrow pale mar - fin of terminal male not elevated anteriorly; caudal gin, grading to dusky on about posterior fourth of fin truncate to slightly emarginate, the fin length fin; color in life as in Figs 18-21; largest specimen, 1.45-1.65 in head length; initial phase gray-brown 112 mm SL. with a dark brown stripe from behind eye, where Description: Dorsal rays IX,12; anal rays III,12, twice as broad as orbit, narrowing to less than orbit dorsal and anal soft rays branched, the last to base; diameter anteriorly on caudal peduncle, then pectoral rays 13, the uppermost very short, the expanding to a large triangle twice orbit diameter next unbranched; pelvic rays I,5, the soft rays in height on base of caudal fin; upper and lower branched; caudal fin with 14 principal rays, the edges of caudal fin broadly dusky; remaining fins middle 12 branched; upper and lower procurrent

Fig. 20. Paratype of Pseudocoris aequalis , BMNH 2007.10.23.2, initial-phase male, 89 mm SL, Holmes Reef, Coral Sea. Aquarium photo by F. Walsh.

Fig. 21. Paratype of Pseudocoris aequalis , QM I.38119, initial-phase male, 82 mm SL, Holmes Reef, Coral Sea. Aquarium photo by L. Squire.

55 aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 A pictorial review of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris, with description of a new species from the Coral Sea caudal rays about 8, the posterior two segmented, mandibular series of 11 pores beginning above free the anterior rudimentary; lateral line continuous, end of preopercle and ending at chin (pores may be deflected sharply downward below posterior part seen on Fig. 19). of dorsal fin to straight midlateral portion, the Scales on body small and cycloid; progressively pored scales 75 (75-78); scales above lateral line to smaller scales extending forward on nape to above middle of dorsal fin 3; scales below lateral line to upper end of preopercular margin; no median pre - origin of anal fin 24 (24-25); gill rakers 6 + 15 (5- dorsal scales; no scales on head, and none on mid - 6 + 12-14); branchiostegal rays 6; vertebrae 9 + 16. ventral line of prepelvic area; dorsal and anal fins Body depth 3.6 (3.75-4.35) in SL; body width naked except for two rows of small scales on base 2.0 (2.0-2.3) in body depth; head length 3.1 (3.2- of dorsal fin and one to two rows on base of anal 3.35) in SL; dorsal profile of head smoothly con - fin; small scales on about basal third of caudal fin; vex; snout 3.9 (3.8-3.9) in head length; orbit diam - no scales on base of paired fins; a midventral, eter 6.1 (4.9-5.6) in head length; interorbital space pointed, fleshy process at base of pelvic fins, its strongly convex, the least bony width 4.8 (4.65- length nearly as great as pupil diameter; lateral line 4.95) in head length; caudal-peduncle depth 3.2 following dorsal contour of body to below ninth (2.75-2.95) in head length; caudal-peduncle length dorsal soft ray, then deflected obliquely downward 2.65 (2.45-2.9) in head length. to continue midlaterally to base of caudal fin; last Mouth terminal, oblique (forming an angle of pored scale on base of caudal fin a little larger and about 40° to horizontal axis of body), and small, more pointed than previous scales. the maxilla reaching a vertical through posterior Origin of dorsal fin above upper end of gill open - nostril; upper-jaw length 5.1 (4.75-5.0) in head ing, the predorsal length 3.65 (3.65-4.0) in SL; length; front of jaws with a pair of forward-pro - spines of dorsal and anal fins flexible; membranes jecting canines that curve laterally, the lower pair of spinous portion of dorsal and anal fins not barely fitting between upper pair when mouth incised; spine tips continuing as a slender, tapering, closed; side of jaws with nine well-spaced, slender, flexible rod that reinforces fin margin more than conical teeth, the largest about one-half length of half way to next spine; anterior part of dorsal fin anterior canines; no canine tooth at corner of not elevated in initial phase or terminal male; first mouth; palate edentate; lips thin, the broadest dorsal spine 4.1 (3.75-4.2) in head length; ninth depth of labial flap of lower jaw less than pupil dorsal spine longest, 3.0 (2.65-3.05) in head diameter; tongue thin and wide, projecting length; sixth to eleventh dorsal soft rays subequal, beneath broad membrane anteriorly in floor of 2.6 (2.4-2.5) in head length; first anal spine slen - mouth; longest gill raker about one-half length of der and short, 10.7 (8.15-10.0) in head length; longest gill filaments. third anal spine longest, 4.45 (3.75-4.05) in head Opercular flap well-developed, the pointed poste - length; second to ninth anal soft rays subequal, 3.2 rior end extending beyond upper base of pectoral (2.75-3.1) in head length; caudal fin nearly trun - fin; preopercular margin thin and smooth, the cor - cate in initial phase, slightly emarginate in terminal ner broadly rounded; upper end of preopercular male, 1.65 (1.45-1.65) in head length; pectoral fins margin at level of ventral edge of orbit, the anterior pointed, the fourth ray longest, 1.5 (1.45-1.6) in end at or a little posterior to front edge of orbit. head length; first pelvic soft ray longest, 2.15 (2.0- Nostrils very small (only slightly larger than 2.35) in head length. cephalic sensory pores), on a line between upper Color of holotype in alcohol : dorsal bony edge of orbit and front of snout, the anterior one-half of body very dark purplish gray (nearly about half way between a vertical at fleshy front black), the ventral half purplish gray, the scale edge of orbit and front of snout; posterior nostril edges darker than centers; head very dark purplish about a pupil diameter behind anterior nostril, the gray, a little lighter on ventral half and darkest on latter with a distinct fleshy rim, a little higher pos - opercular flap; dorsal fin dark purplish gray with a teriorly; posterior nostril oblique, largely covered narrow hyaline margin, grading to dusky purplish by an anterior flap; a series of 10 sensory pores posteriorly; anal fin translucent purplish gray with from before anterior nostril through interorbital a hyaline margin; caudal-fin base and upper and space to beginning of lateral line; a second series of lower five principal rays and adjacent membranes 10 pores encircling orbit from behind upper part purplish black, the broad hemispherical centropos - of eye to beneath anterior nostril; preopercular- terior part hyaline with purplish rays; paired fins aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 56 John E. Randall and Fenton Walsh translucent pale purplish gray, the pectorals with a BLEEKER , P. 1862. Conspectus generum Labroideorum dark line along upper edge, the pelvics with a dark analyticus . Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London purplish anterior edge. 1861 (3): 408-418. With a longer time in alcohol, the purplish hue BOSTROM , M. A., C OLLETTE , B. B., L UCKHURST , B. E., REESE , K. S. & G RAVES , J. E. 2002. Hybridization will probably fade. between two serranids, the coney (Cephalopholis fulva) Color of holotype in life as shown in and the creole-fish (Paranthias furcifer) at Bermuda. Fish - Figs 18 and 19. Color of two initial-phase males in ery Bulletin 100 (4): 651-661. Figs 20 and 21. CHEN , J.- P. & S HAO , K.-T 1995. New species of wrasse , Etymology: We name this species Pseudocoris Pseudocoris ocellatus (Pisces: Labridae), from Taiwan. aequalis from the Latin meaning equal or uniform, Copeia 1995 (3): 689-693. in reference to the near-uniform height of the dor - DAVIS , W. P. & B IRDSONG , R. S. 1973. Coral reef fishes sal fin of the terminal male, a feature distinguish - which forage in the water column: their behavioral, mor - phological and ecological evolution. International Sym - ing it from other species of Pseudocoris . posium Helgoland, Man in the Sea: In-situ investigations Remarks: Pseudocoris aequalis also differs of the marine environment. Helgoländer wissenschaftliche markedly in color from the five other species of the Meeresuntersuchungen 24 (1-4): 292-306. genus. We were surprised when our two small ini - DE BEAUFORT , L. F. 1940. The Fishes of the Indo-Australian tial-phase specimens proved to be fully mature Archipelago , vol. 8: xv + 508 pp. E. J. Brill, Leiden. males in somewhat different color pattern. A juve - FOURMANOIR , P. 1971. Description de quatre poissons trou - nile from the same area of Holmes Reef was first vés pour la première fois dans les Tuamotu et en Nouvelle- believed to be this species, but was later identified Calédonie. Cahiers du Pacifique , no. 15 : 127-135. FOWLER , H. W. & B EAN , B. A. 1928. Contributions to the as P. heteroptera . We note a slight difference in the biology of the Philippine Archipelago and adjacent number of lateral-line scales of the two species, P. regions. The fishes of the families Pomacentridae, Labri - heteroptera with 72-75, and P. aequalis with 75-78. dae, and Callyodontidae, collected by the United States At the present time, this species is known only Bureau of Fisheries steamer “Albatross,” chiefly in Philip - from Holmes Reef in the Coral Sea, but it should pine seas and adjacent waters . Bulletin of the United States be expected at other reefs and islands in the Coral National Museum 100 , vol. 7: viii + 525 pp. Sea, as well as the Great Barrier Reef, only 150 km FRANCIS , M. P. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of to the west. Lord Howe, Norfolk, and the Kermadec Islands, south - west Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47 (2): 136-170. GÜNTHER , A. 1873-1910. Andrew Garrett’s Fische der ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Südsee. Journal des Museum Godeffroy (Hamburg), parts We are most grateful to Tim and Cale Bennett for 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, and 17 in vols. 2, 4, and 6. collecting the specimens of this wrasse and Lyle HUBRECHT , A. A. W. 1876. On a new species of Coris Squire for recognizing it as a possible new species from the Molucca Archipelago . Annals and Magazine of and passing the fish alive to us. We also thank J.-P Natural Histor y, ser. 4, 17 : 214-215. Chen for his photographs of Pseudocoris ocellata and KUITER , R. H. 2002. Fairy & Rainbow Wrasses and Loreen R. O’Hara of the Bishop Museum for x-rays. their Relatives . 208 pp. TMC Publishing, Chorleywood, UK. The manuscript was reviewed by Gerald R. Allen, LOBEL , P. S. & L OBEL , L. K. 2004. Annotated checklist of Helen A. Randall, and William F. Smith-Vaniz. the fishes of Wake Atoll. Pacific Science 58 (1): 65-90. MASUDA , H., A RAGA , C. & Y OSHINO , T. (eds.). 1975. Coastal Fishes of Japan. 382 pp. Tokai University Press, REFERENCES Tokyo. ALLEN , G. R. & R USSELL , B. C. 1986. Part VII, Fishes (of MASUDA , H., A MAOKA , K., A RAGA , C., U YENO , T. & Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef). Records of the Western YOSHINO , T. (eds.). 1984. The Fishes of the Japanese Arch - Australian Museum , suppl. 25 : 75-103. ipelago. Vol. 1 (text: xxii + 437 pp.) and vol. 2 (plates). ALLEN , G. R. & S MITH -V ANIZ , W. F. 1994. Fishes of the Co- Tokai University Press, Tokyo. cos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin , no. 412: 1-21. NORMAN , J. R. 1957. Draft Synopsis of the Orders, Families ALLEN , G. R. & STEENE R. C. 1979. The fishes of Christ - and Genera of Recent Fishes and Fish-like Vertebrates. 649 mas Island, Indian Ocean. Australian National Parks and pp. British Museum (Natural History), London. Wildlife Service Special Publication 2: 1-81. MYERS , R. F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes , ed. 3. vi + 330 ALLEN , G. R. & STEENE R. C. 1987. Reef Fishes of the pp. Coral Graphics, Guam. Indian Ocean . T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ. RANDALL , J. E. & A NDERSON , R. C. 1993. Annotated BLEEKER , P. 1857. Achtste bijdrage tot de kennis der vis - checklist of the epipelagic and shore fishes of the Maldive chfauna van Amboina . Acta Societatis Scientiarum Indo- Islands. Ichthyological Bulletin of the J.L.B. Smith Institute Neerlandicae . 2: 1-102.

57 aqua vol. 14 no. 2 - 14 April 2008 A pictorial review of the Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudocoris, with description of a new species from the Coral Sea

of Ichthyology , no. 59 : 1–47. thias . American Museum Novitates , no. 2276 : 1-11. SCHMIDT , P. J. 1931. Fishes of the Riu-Kiu Islands . Trans - WASS , R .C. 1984. An annotated checklist of the fishes of actions of the Pacific Committee of the Academy of Sciences Samoa. NOAA Technical Report NMFS SSRF- 781: 1-43. of the USSR 1: 19-156. WINTERBOTTOM , R., E MERY , A. R. &. H OLM , E. 1989. SENOU , H., M ATSUURA , K. & S HINOHARA , G. 2006. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Chagos Arch - Checklist of fishes in the Sagami Sea with zoogeographi - ipelago. Life Science Contributions of the Royal Ontario cal comments on shallow water fishes occurring along the Museum , no. 145 : vi + 226 pp coastlines under the influence of the Kuroshio Current . Memoirs of the National Science Museum, Tokyo 41 : 389-542. SENOU , H. & M ORITA , Y. 1993. Pseudocoris aurantiofasci - ata Fourmanoir. I.O.P. Diving News 4 (8): 1. SMITH , C. L. 1966. Menephorus Poey, a serranid genus based on two hybrids of Cephalopholis fulva and Paran - thias furcifer , with comments on the placement of Paran -

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