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A Contribution to the Taxonomy of the Marine Fish Genus Argyrosomus (Perciformes: Sciaenidae), with Descriptions of Two New Species • from Southern Africa

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A Contribution to the Taxonomy of the Marine Fish Genus Argyrosomus (Perciformes: Sciaenidae), with Descriptions of Two New Species • from Southern Africa ISSN 0073-4381 J.L.B. SMITH INSTITUTE OF ICHTHYOLOGY GRAHAMSTOWN, SOUTH AFRICA • ICHTHYOLOGICAL BULLETIN NUMBER65 SEPTEMBER 1995 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE TAXONOMY OF THE MARINE FISH GENUS ARGYROSOMUS (PERCIFORMES: SCIAENIDAE), WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES • FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA by ~ Marc H. Griffiths and Phillip C. Heemstra 't$~~~" ,.~ \~~~ ~ .,1 .~\>~ . ~~ ~o?> ~~, V"' ABSTRACT Griffiths, Marc H. and Phillip C. Heemstra. 1995. A contribution to the taxonomy of the marine fish genus Argyrosomus (Percifotmes: Sciaenidae), with descriptions of two new species from southern Mrica. Ichthyological Bulletin ofthe J.L.B. , ,··Smith Institute ofIchthyology, No. 65, 40 pages. Study of the biology, anatomy and taxonomy of the sciaenid fishes of the genus Argyrosomus from South Africa and Namibia revealed that three species were confused under the name ''Argyrosomus hololepidotus (Lacepede, 1801)". Com­ parison ofmorphometric and meristic data, otoliths, swim -bladders, drumming muscles, and other morphological features, of specimens from southern Africa, Madagascar, the Mediterranean Sea, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Japan and Australia, established that the ''A. hololepidotus" of recent authors is a complex of four species: A. japonicus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843), which occurs off southern Africa, Japan and Australia; A. inodorus sp. nov., which is known from Namibia to the Kei River (32°40'S) on the east coast ofSouth Africa; A. coronus sp. nov., which is known from central and northern Namibia and Angola, and A. hololepidotus, which appears to be endemic to Madagascar. These four species are compared with A. regius (Asso, 1801) of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, A. thorpei Smith, 1977 from South Africa, Mozambique and the west coast of Madagascar, and A. beccus Sasaki, 1994 known only from Durban harbour. To promote stability in the nomenclature and to resolve the confusion in the taxonomy of Argyrosomus species, neotypes are selected for A. hololepidotus and A. japonicus. The biology, distributions and fisheries of six species are reviewed. Distribution patterns for the southern Mrican species and a key to the seven species known from Mrica and Madagascar (A. regius, A. japonicus, A. inodorus, A. coronus, A. thorpei, A. beccus, and A. hololepidotus) are provided. The composition and distinction of the genus Argyrosomus are briefly discussed . • CONTENTS Introduction . I Materials and Methods . 1 Genus Argyrosomus 5 Key to species . .7 Argyrosomus regius . .8 A. japonicus . ........ 10 A. hololepidotus . 17 A. thorpei ....... 19 A. inodorus sp. nov. 21 A. coronus sp. nov. 28 Acknowledgements 34 Tables ..... 35 • Literature cited . 38 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE TAXONOMY OF THE MARINE FISH GENUS ARGYROSOMUS (PERCIFORMES: SCIAENIDAE), WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES FROM'SOUTHERN AFRICA. by Marc H. Griffiths 1 and Phillip C. Heemstra2 INTRODUCI'ION w~ich ~ey are embedded. Our descriptions of appendage onentation for the species treated here are based (when Sciaenid fishes of the genus occur in the Argyrosomus possible) on specimens with little or no fat. eastern Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific regions, and are important food species wherever they are found. Close Vertebral counts were made on skeletons (see below) similarity in the external appearance of these· species has or on radiographs. Caudal vertebrae were taken as those resulted in a difficult and sometimes confused taxonomy. with fused transverse processes or distinct haemal spines. Correct identification of Argyrosomus species is essential Body depth was measured between the origins of the first from a management perspective, as different species often dorsal and the pelvic fms. Caudal peduncle length was exhibit different life history traits, and therefore require measured obliquely from the end of the second dorsal fm separate conservation strategies. b~e to the lateral line at the base of the caudal fm. Pre-pel­ VIC length was taken from the tip of the lower jaw to the Since 1977 two species of Argyrosomus, ·~. hololepi­ origin of the pelvic fm. The least fleshy interorbital width dotus" and A. thorpei, were recognised as important recrea­ was measured. As specimen treatment causing shrinkage of tional and commercial fishes off South Africa. In 1990; a the eye (e.g. storage in alcohol or freezing), generally also project initiated by the first auth~ (MHG) to study the • caused shrinkage in this measurement. data for fresh speci­ biology of ·~rgyrosomus hololepidotus", revealed that two mens is provided in the key where relevant. Pectoral fm species were confused under this name. In order to establish length was measured from the origin of the most dorsal ray their identity, these two species were comp~ with other to the tip ofthe longest ray. Anal and pelvic fm lengths were species of Argyrosomus. The results are presented in this taken from the fmorigin to the distal tip of the fin. The first paper, together with descriptions of A. hololepidotus, A. lower-limb gill-raker (next to the raker at the angle), and the regius, A. japonicus and A. thorpei. Neotypes are desig­ longest gill filament of the flfSt gill arch were measured. nated for A. hololepidotus and A. japonicus. Two new The heights and lengths of scales on the body at the tip of species, A. inodorus andA. coronus are also described from the adpressed left pectoral fm were measured. The length southern Africa, bringing the total number ofArgyrosomus of the longest urinary bladder (left or right. Fig. 1) of species to ten. Taxonomic differences between A. inodorus and A. japonicus were studied in detail, as both species are impor­ ;UBLj tant in recreational and commercial fisheries in South Af­ rica. The habitats and distributions of the Southern African Argyrosomus species are discussed, and the biology and fisheries of the six African species are reviewed. • . MATE~S ~D MEffiODS The spectmens exammed are hsted after each description. Institutional abbreviations follow Leviton et al. (1985). Sex is indicated by the letters M (male) and F (female); juveniles, too small to be sexed, are indicated by "J". In cases where I additional fresh specimens were examined but not pre­ ' served, the total sample number (n) includes these fresh specimens. Except as indicated below, measurements and counts used in this study were based on the methods of B Hubbs and Lagler (1964). Counts of gill-rakers and swim­ bladder appendages exclude rudiments (structures wider than long). ·Swim-bladder appendages were counted on the left side of the swim-bladder. Orientation of swtm-bladder A appendages may vary depending on the amount of fat in Figure 1. Ovaries (0) and urinary bladders (UB) of South 1Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Private Bag X2, Rogge African: A) Argyrosomus inodorus , 825 mm 'IL; Bay 8012, Cape Town. 2 B) Argyrosomus japonicus, 860 mm 1L, illustrating JL.B. Smith Institute oflchthyology, Private Bag 1015, differences in size of bladders and the bladder length Grahamstown, 6140. measurement (UBL). 1 A japonicus and A inodorus was measured to the nearest millimetre. The size of the bladder was influenced by the degree of fullness at the time ofdeath. In order to compen­ sate for bladder fullness, measurements were taken from fresh material after the bladders were emptied and straight­ ened. The shape of the caudal fin varies with species, VM sPecimen size and expansion. To compensate for variable expansion, the fin was fully splayed (while still wet) on a contract smooth surface, and then allowed to to the "natu­ OM ral" position. Variation in caudal fm shapes and terminol­ ogy are illustrated in Figure 2. Notes on life colour were taken from fresh specimens. The examination of more than five hundred live A. inodorus andA.japonicus suggest that both species darken after death. Sonific (drumming) muscles run in a narrow longitudi­ nal band (one on each side) along the inside of the ventro­ lateral wall of the posterior part of the body cavity. The muscle fibres run transversely to the long axis of the muscle and are attached to the medial surface of the peritoneum. They are not connected to the swimbladder. Morphometric ratios are expressed as percentages of head length (HL) (measurements on head only) and standard .____ OH ------' length (SL). Unless indicated as "'IL", all fish lengths are of SL. For statistical analyses, measurements were ex­ Figure 3. Otolith terminology and measurements: pressed as fractions of SL and then arcsine-transformed. DM =Dorsal Margin, OL::; Otolith Length, OH =Otolith• Meristic data and morphometric ratios (except A hololepi­ Hejght, OCD =Ostium to Cauda Distance, PM =Posterior dotus with n = 2 or 3) were compared using ANOVAs and Margin, VM =Ventral Margin. Tukey studentized range tests. Morphometric ratios for A In addition to comparing the general morphology ofthe inodorus and A. japonicus were also analyzed according to sagittae of five Argyrosomus species, the relationships be­ 100 mm SL size classes to compare characters that show tween sagittal measurements (and weight} and TL for A allometric growth (e.g. eye diameter) or those which grow inodorus and A japonicus were compared using regression at different rates in the two species (e.g. pectoral fm length). analysis. Total length (TL) was used instead of SL, because it could be measured more rapidly when recording data from commercial catches. Otoliths were taken from all sizes (A inodorus, 60 - 1378 mm TL; A. japonicus, 36 - 1750 mm TL) represented in the catch. Otolith weight (to the nearest milligramme) and
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