Pacific Science (1981), vol. 35, no. 1 © 1981 by The University Press of Hawaii. All rights reserved A Revision of the Labrid Fish Genus Pseudojuloides, with Descriptions of Five New Species! JOHN E. RANDALL2 and HELEN A. RANDALL2 ABSTRACT: The Indo-Pacific labrid fish genus Pseudojuloides Fowler is characterized chiefly by a slender body (depth usually 4-5 in standard length) , IX,1l or 12 dorsal rays, a single pair of canine teeth anteriorly in jaws followed by incisiform teeth, and a small truncate or near-truncate caudal fin. Eight species are recognized : P. cerasinus (Snyder), ranging widely from East Africa to eastern Polynesia; P. argyreogaster (Gunther) from the western Indian Ocean; the related P. elongatus Ayling and Russell, which exhibits an anti tropical distribution in the western Pacific (Japan, Australia, and New Zealand); and the five new species P. atavai from southeast Oceania, P. pyrius from the Marquesas Islands, P. mesostigma from the Philippine Islands, and P. xanthomos and P. erythrops from Mauritius. These fishes are small (only two species are known to exceed 100 mm standard length) , bottom-dwelling (frequently on rubble or weedy substrata), and most often found at depths of about 10 to 60 m. All appear to be sexually dichromatic (xanthomos is known only from a single male specimen); the females of five of the species are uniform light red and difficult to distinguish from one another. THE INDO-PACIFIC LABRID GENUS Pseudo­ Ayling and Russell (1977) reviewed Pseudo­ juloides was established by Fowler (1949) for juloides , extended the range of P. cerasinus a slender, colorful wrasse described from a to the Loyalty Islands, Great Barrier Reef, single specimen from the Hawaiian Islands southern Japan, and the Ryukyu Islands (the as Pseudojulis cerasina by Snyder (1904). In last two localities via communication from their Handbook of Hawaiian Fishes, Gosline John W. Shepard), and described a second and Brock (1960:230) reported four speci­ species, P. elongatus, from New Zealand, mens of this species which were speared in Australia, and southern Japan. They showed about 100 feet of water. The two larger that both species are sexually dichromatic. specimens were slaty blue with stripes on the In their review they overlooked a third side, and the two smaller ones were red with species which belongs in the genus, P. argy­ a yellowish tail. Of the latter two they wrote, reogaster (Gunther in Playfair and Gunther "It is quite possible that these represent a 1866),described from Zanzibar in 1866. different species, although we can find no Collections of reef fishes in the Indo­ morphological differences between them." Pacific region by the senior author and as­ Randall (1973) included the species in a sociates have resulted in specimens of five checklist of fishes of the Society Islands, and new species of Pseudojuloides, thus bringing Allen et al. (1976) recorded it from Lord to eight the total number of fishes in this Howe Island. genus. 1 We are grateful to the National Geographic Society and the National Science Foundation for support for fieldwork and to the Charles Engelhard Foundation METHODS for funds for the color plates. Manuscript accepted 1 December 1980. Standard length (SL) is measured from the 2 Bernice P. Bishop Museum, P.O. Box 19000-A, most anterior end of the snout (either upper Honolulu, Hawaii 96819. lip or upper canines, whichever is more an- 51 52 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Volume 35, January 1981 terior) to the base of the caudal fin. Head presented in Tables 2-6 than are summa rized length is measured from the same anterior in the species descriptions. Proportional point to the end of the opercular flap. Body measurements in the text are rounded to the depth is the greatest depth taken from the nearest .05. base of the dorsal spines to the ventral margin of the abdomen (though correcting for any obvious malformation of preserva­ GENUS Pseudojuloides tion) . Width of body is measured immedi­ ately posterior to the gill opening. Orbit Pseudojuloides Fo wler, 1949: 119 (type diameter is the greatest fleshy diameter. species, Pseudojulis cerasina Snyder, by Interorbital width is the least bony width. original designation and monotypy) Depth of caudal peduncle is the least depth; length of caud al peduncle is the horizontal Description distance between verticals at the rear base of the anal fin and base of caudal fin. The Dorsal rays IX,II or 12 (last branched to length of the fin spines and rays are mea­ base); anal rays III ,12 (last branched to sured from their distal tips to the extreme base); pectoral rays 12 or 13 (upper ray bases (from X rays or by transmitting bright rudimentary, second unbranched); pelvic light through bases of fins). Pectoral fin rays 1,5; principal caudal rays 14, the median length is taken from the distal tip of the 12 branched; upper pro current caudal rays longest ray to the extreme base of that ray. 6; lower procurrent caud al rays 6 (except P. The upper rudimentary pectoral ray is argyreogaster with 5); lateral-line scales 27, included in the count of this fin. Gill-raker plus I enlarged po red scale posterior to hy­ counts include all rudiments. Scales above pural plate; scales abo ve lateral line to origin the lateral line are counted above the first of dorsal fin 3-5; scales below lateral line to pored scale diagonally upward and posterior origin of anal fin 7-9; circumpeduncular to the base of the first dorsal spine. Median scales 16; gill rakers 14-19 (see Table I); predorsal scale counts for species of Pseudo­ branchiostegal rays 6; vertebrae IS; predor­ j uloides are only approximate counts because sal bones I. these scales are not in a regular series. Body elongate, the depth 3.8-5.6 in SL, Type specimens have been variously and slightly to moderately compressed, the deposited in the following institutions: width 1.5-2.5 in depth; head pointed, the Australian Museum , Sydney ( AMS); Bernice length 2.85- 3.35 in SL; dorsal profile of P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu (BPBM); head slightly to moderately con vex . in a British Museum (Natural History), London smooth cur ve; snout moderately long , [BM(NH)]; California Academy of Sciences, 2.5-3.55 in head; depth of caudal peduncle San Francisco (CAS); Mu seum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNH N); and U.S . National Museum of Natural History, TABLE 1 Washington, D.C. ( USNM). Specimens have GILL-R AKER C OUNTS OF S PECIES OF Pseudojuloides also been examined from the J. L. B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, GILL RAKERS Grahamstown, South Africa ( RUS I) and 14 15 16 17 18 19 the Tanaka Memorial Biological Station, Miyake-jima, Izu Islands, Japan (TMBS). P. cerasinus 3 9 12 6 1 P. elongatus 3 3 2 In the descriptions of the new species, data P. argyreogaster 1 2 1 in parentheses refer to paratypes. Characters P. atavai 5 5 3 given in the description of the genus which P. xanthomos I are common to all species are generally not P.pyr ius 5 1 I repeated in the individual species descriptions P. erythrops 3 2 P. mesostigma 2 3 or diagnoses. More measurement data are Revision of the Genus Pseudojuloides-RANDAL L ANDRANDALL 53 varying from slightly greater than peduncle to straight peduncular portion; lateral-line length to about equal to peduncle length, the scales with a single pore. least depth 2.4-3.65 in head. Scales cycloid, moderately large except Mouth small, terminal or nearly so, the those on thorax and nape, which are much gape hori zontal to slightly oblique; a pair of smaller (particularly anteriorly on nape and strongly projecting canin e teeth anteriorly in ventroanteriorly on thorax); head naked; fins jaws, the uppers slightly outcurved, the naked except basal portion of caudal fin and lowers fitting inside uppers when mouth two scales midventrally at base of pelvic fins. closed; side of jaws with chisel-like incisi­ Dorsal and anal spines progressively long­ form teeth (except males of P. mesostigma, er posteriorly, the ninth dorsal spine 2.65­ which have small conical teeth); a canine 3.55 in head and the third anal spine 2.9- 4.6 tooth at corner of mouth only of large adults in head; longest dorsal and anal soft rays not of P. argyreogaster and P. e/ongatus. Paired much longer than longest spines; caudal fin upper pharyngeal plate s triangul ar with truncate to slightly rounded in females, teeth in 4 or 5 anterior to posterior rows, slightly rounded to slightly emargin ate or tho se along the anterolatera l side bluntly double emarginate in males; caudal fin rela­ conical, the remaining teeth molariform tively small, 1.3-1.9 in head; pectoral fins (none notably enlarged); slender median an­ small, 1.6- 2.3 in head; origin of pelvic fins terior limb of T-shaped lower pharyngeal below lower base of pectorals, their length plate with a single (sometimes irregular) row varying from 1.45- 2.9 in head. of conical teeth; broad transverse limb with numerous teeth in about three rows, the Remarks median tooth in the posteri or row a slightly enlarged oval-shaped molar, the adjacent The species of Pseudoju/oides are small teeth also oval-shaped molars but slightly fishes; the largest specimen measures 126.5 smaller, the more lateral teeth of last row mm SL. All appear to be pro togynous and bluntly conical; remaining teeth small monadric. The males of P. cerasinus and molars except those laterally in anterior row, P. e/ongatus, at least, maint ain harems (Jack which are bluntl y conical (pharyngeal T.