Priolepis profunda ( Weber, 1909 )

Priolepis profunda ( Weber, 1909) View in CoL

( Figs. 1‒2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 )

Quisquilius profundus Weber, 1909:155 View in CoL (Sapeh-Strasse, Sumbawa and Dongala, Palos Bai, Celebes).

Materials examined

NTOUP-2021-12-181 , 2 specimens (36.0– 36.4 mm SL), Daxi Harbour , Toucheng township, Yilan County, Taiwan, depth 70–80 m, coll. H.E. Li & T. Harefa, 12 December, 2021.

NTOUP-2022-09-111 , 33.2 mm SL, Kezilaio Fishing Harbor , Ziguan District, Kaohsiung City, depth more than 50 m, coll. H.E. Li & T. Harefa, 11 September, 2022.

Description

Body proportions were listed in Table 1 View TABLE 1 . Body moderately elongated, slightly compressed posteriorly. Head slightly compressed. Mouth oblique, maxilla extending posteriorly to vertical drawn anterior margin of eye. Lower jaw slightly protruding. Anterior nasal with a short tapering tube reaching anteriorly to above anterior margin of upper lip, posterior opening pore-like with low raised rim. Eyes large, dorsolateral. Interorbital broad with no trench or groove. Cheek bulbous. Gill opening on each side large, extending anteroventrally to below the vertical limb of the preopercle.

Fins. —D1 VI, D2 I/10, A I/8, P 18, V I/5+I/5. Second to fourth spine of D1 longest but not elongated, when adpressed. D2 all rays branched and last ray always two rays with one branched; longest ray somewhat reaching upper procurrent caudal-fin. A origin located below first ray of D2, all rays branched and last ray always two rays with one branched. All rays of P branched, longest fin ray reaching vertically genitalia pore. V in lacking fraenum; fused with poor-developed connecting membrane; fifth ray subequal with fourth ray; first to fourth rays with four to five branch points and fifth rays branched with two dichotomous branch points; longest ray reaching only anus. Caudal-fin rounded.

Scales. — Body scales were severely damaged, scale counts were primarily determined by examining scale pockets. LR 27–28, TR 11, PreD 19–20, SDP 7; no scales on cheek and opercle; pectoral-fin base cycloid scaled; prepelvic covered with 7 rows of cycloid scales.

Head lateral-line system.—( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Canals.— No canal pore on head.

Sensory papillae.— Sensory papillae distributed as follows, with counts and ranges shown in parentheses: Infraorbital papillae present as 6 transverse rows, each row with 4–6 papillae, except row 3 and 5 with 8 and 10 papillae, respectively; rows b and d (14 and 15 respectively); rows e and i (41 and 19, respectively) on preoperculomandibular and lower jaw; row f (7 paired papillae) on rostral mandibular; rows n and g (7 and 8, respectively); rows ot, oi and os (20, 6 and 12, respectively) on opercle; p papillae (9, paired) longitudinally on interorbital; rows r and s (7and 3, respectively, all paired) flanking midline in preorbital area; rows u, y and z (11, 4 and 7, respectively) on oculoscapular region.

Colouration of fresh collection materials.—( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 )

Body brown with scale pockets strongly outlined. Head yellowish orange with four thin white vertical bands: first white vertical band extending from below anteroventral margin of eye to middle upper jaw; second white band extending from below midventral margin of eye along the cheek; third white band extending from below posterior margin of eye to posteroventral of cheek; fourth white band running along mid opercle.

Nape with four white bands: first band curved connecting eyes just middle behind of eyes; second white band curved, connecting third white band on cheek from posterior margin of eye; third white band, slightly curved, connecting with fourth white band on mid opercle. Interorbital with three white bands. Snout with one white band. Iris yellowish orange, pupil surrounded by reddish margin.

Dorsal-fin and anal-fin brown-orange. First dorsal-fin with dark brown blotch on anterior base; two white stripes: first stripe short, running posteriorly to base of fifth spine; second stripe longer, running posteriorly to base of sixth spine. Second dorsal fin alternating with brown-orange and white wavy stripes. Anal fin scattered with black melanophores basally. Pectoral-fin reddish-orange, scatterd with black melanophores on anterior half of fin. Pelvic-fin reddish-orange. Caudal-fin brown orange, one specimen with 6–7 rows of brown orange spots, gradding posteriorly.

Distribution

P. profunda has been recorded in Indo-west Pacific Ocean, including India, Andaman sea ( Myanmar), Indonesia, northwestern Australia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand and Japan ( Hoese & Larson 2010; Akhito et al. 2013; Ramachandran et al. 2020; and Fujiwara et al. 2022).

Remarks

Present specimens collected from Taiwan belong to Group I of Priolepis characterized by well-developed pattern of transverse cheek papillae and the presence of predorsal scale as reviewed by Winterbottom & Burridge (1989, 1992, 1993a, b). P. profunda , commonly known as narrow-bar reef goby, was redescribed by Hoese and Larson using syntypes from Indonesia, and diagnosed the species by having broad interorbital; presence of predorsal scales; prepelvic with 2-8 scales; opercular and cheek without scales; second dorsal-fin I/10, anal-fin rays I/8, pectoral rays 19; well-developed transverse cheek papillae, fifth rays of pelvic-fin branched; and a distinct large black blotch at anterior base of first dorsal-fin. The present specimen has similar character by possessing brown black blotch on the anterior base of first dorsal-fin and most meristic counts were within the range to those described by Hoese and Larson (2010) ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ).