Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences Vol. 45(6), June, 2016, pp. 749-751

First record of rotunda Chen, 1981 (: : ) from Indian waters

Anil Mohapatra*, Prasad Chandra Tudu & Dipanjan Ray Marine Aquarium & Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Digha 721 428, India *[ E,Mail:[email protected]]

Received 19 March 2014; revised 12 May 2014

First report of Neomerinthe rotunda Chen, 1981 from Indian waters is documented. The present paper confirms the occurrence of Neomerinthe rotunda Chen, 1981 in Indian east coast and extends the range of the occurrence of this species to Bay of Bengal.

[Key Words: Scorpaenidae, Neomerinthe rotunda, Visakhapatnam, Bay of Bengal, India]

Introduction authors collected one specimen (SL 73 mm) from Visakhapatnam fishing harbour, Andhra Pradesh The family Scorpaenidae contains 418 species and the specimen is deposited in the museum of belonging to at least 56 genera1. They are highly Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre, diverse marine family with mixture of Zoological Survey of India, Digha. (Reg. No. complex morphological and meristic MARC/ZSI/F3438) after proper identification. characteristics and distributed in all tropical and temperate seas, on relatively near shore hard The method of measurements and counts were bottoms and reefs or associated with coral rubble, carried out as per Motomura et al (2011)6. Head from the surface to a depth of 150 metre2. spine terminologies were following Randall and Eschmeyer (2002)7 and Motomura (2004)8. The The Neomerinthe, Flower, 1935 created abbreviations SL and HL represent standard length on the basis of one specimen of N. hemingwayi and head length respectively. All specimens were and at present total 14 valid species are reported measured with a digital caliper with 0.01 mm worldwide under this genus3,4. From Indian coastal accuracy. Vertebrae were counted by digital X- waters, only one representative of the genus ray. Neomerinthe i.e. N. megalepis (Flower, 1938) is reported recently5. During a survey on ornamental Results fauna of East coast of India another single specimen of genus Neomerinthe was collected A small sized fish with moderately deep and from the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour, Andhra compressed body. Head large, blunt, rounded and Pradesh, India which was identified as containing numerous spines; snout convex and Neomerinthe rotunda Chen, 1981. This paper smaller than eye; interorbital space narrow and deals with the description of the specimen and concave. Lacrimal bone immobile, dorsally bound reporting of the Neomerinthe rotunda Chen, 1981 with lateral ethmoid and posteriorly with first sub from the Indian waters for the first time. orbital bone; occiput slightly convex. Two ridges present on opercle and both ridges bearing spines. Materials and Methods Postero-ventrally pointed strong posterior lacrimal spine present. Suborbital ridge with 3 spines; During the research programme on “Study of preopercle with 5 spines. Mouth large, maxilla Ornamental Fauna along the East Coast of India” long that reaching to posterior margin of orbit. 750 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 45, NO. 6 JUNE 2016

Small villiform teeth present on both jaws, Conclusion palatine teeth present on roof of the mouth. Scales N. rotunda differentiated from the only on body large, that on flanks ctenoid; lateral line species reported from Indian waters N. scales complete, total lateral line scales 29, scales megalepis in having no lateral lacrimal spine, above lateral line 5 and 10 scales below lateral three suborbital and five preopercular spines line. Gill rakers 17 (5+12) including 5 rudimentary (having lateral lacrimal spine, four suborbital gill rackers; Vetrebrae 24. with 12 spines and 9 soft rays, last soft ray splitted from and preopercular spines in N. megalepis). the base; anal fin with 3 spine and 5 rays, 2nd anal N. rotunda is having differential fin spine longest and strongest; pectoral fin with characteristics than the other congeners known 18 rays, pectorals reaching to middle of anal fin; from Indian Ocean like N. amplisquamiceps ventral fin origin vertically more or less just below (Flower, 1938) and N. procurva Chen, 1981 the dorsal fin origin; caudal fin rounded. (having lateral lacrimal spine, four suborbital and preopercular spines), N. bauchotae Poss Measurement in % of Standard length and Duhamel, 1991 with comparatively more

Head length-49.89%; Body depth-36.98%; pectoral fin rays (18 pectoral fin rays in Maxilla-27.39%; Snout length-11.36%; Eye N. rotunda vs. 16-17 in N. bauchotae). diameter-12.05%; Pectoral fin length- 35.61%; N. rotunda is reported earlier from the Sri 6 Ventral fin length- 29.45%; Predorsal length- Lankan waters which is close to west coast of 39.72%; Preanal length-67.12%; 2nd dorsal spine - India. The present report describes the 24.31%; 3rd dorsal spine- 28.01%; 4th dorsal spine- occurrence of this species to Indian east coast 25.79%; 11th dorsal spine- 6,71%; 12th dorsal extends the range of the occurrence of this spine- 15.47%; 1st anal spine- 9.04%; 2nd anal rd species to Bay of Bengal as well as confirms spine- 25.61%; 3 anal spine- 19.04%; Caudal the occurrence of the species in Indian waters. peduncle depth- 12.32; Caudal peduncle length- 15.06%; caudal fin length- 32.87%.

Measurement in % of Head length

Maxilla- 76.92%; Snout length- 23.05%; Eye diameter-24.44 %; Interorbital space- 18.05 %. Colour :In fresh condition body reddish with some whitish patches; pectoral fin base and anus region white. Dorsal, anal, pectoral, ventral fins red in colour (Fig.1A). A dark bloch present on 7th to 10th dorsal fin. Upper part of caudal fin whitish with red spots and lower part reddish. On preservation the colour of the specimen turns whitish gray (Fig.1B).

Distribution: The distribution of the species is Indo-West Pacific and reported earlier from countries like China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Caledonia, Taiwan4. Mdagasker, Vanuatu,

Solomon Island, Wallis and Futuna Island, Fig.1. Neomerinthe rotunda Chen, 1981 (A: Fresh specimen; 6 Southern Sri Lanka . B: Preserved specimen) collected from Visakhapatman Fishing Harbour (MARC/ZSI/F3438).

MOHAPATRA et al.: FIRST RECORD OF NEOMERINTHE ROTUNDA FROM INDIA 751

Acknowledgement

Authors are thankful to Dr. K. Venkataraman, 4. Froese R. and Pauly D. (eds), Fishbase. World Director, Zoological Survey of India, for providing Wide Web electronic publication. Online version: www.fishbase.org (Accessed 14.03, 2014). necessary facilities for the work. 5. Ray, D. and Mohapatra, A. (Accepted MS). First record of scorpionfish genus Neomerinthe Flower, References 1935 (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) from Indian coast. Indian Journal of th Geo-Marine Science. 1. Nelson, J.S., of the World. 4 Ed. (John 6. Motomura, H., Bearez, P. and Causse, R., Review Wiley and sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey) 2006, of Indo-Pacific specimens of the subfamily pp 1-601. Scorpaeninae (Scorpaenidae), deposited in the 2. Poss, S.G., Scorpaenidae. In: FAO Species museum national d’Historie naturelle, Paris, with Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The description of a new species of Neomerinthe, Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Cybium, 35 (2011) 55-73. Pacific. Vol. 4. Bony Fishes Part 2 (Mugilidae to 7. Randall, J.E. & Eschmeyer. W.N., Revision of the Carangidae) (Carpenter K.E. & Niem V.H., eds), Indo-Pacific scorpionfish genus , (1999): 2659-2756. Rome: FAO. with descriptions of eight new species, Indo-Pacif. 3. Poss, S.G. and Duhamel, G., Neomerinthe Fish., 34 (2002) 1-79. bauchotae, a new scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae) from 8. Motomura H., Revision of the scorpionfish genus St. Paul and Amsterdam islands (southern Indian Neosebastes (Scorpaeniformes: ) with Ocean), with comments on the limits of the genus, descriptions of five new species, Indo-Pacif. Fish., Cybium, 15 (1991: 93-102. 37(2004) 1-76.