Aplodactylus arctidens Richardson, 1839

Aplodactylus arctidens Richardson View in CoL

(®gures 1, 2)

Aplodactylus arctidens Richardson, 1839: 96 View in CoL ( type locality, Tasmania).

Sciñna mñandratus Solander ms in Richardson, 1842: 83 ( type locality, Cape Kidnappers , New Zealand) .

Aplodactylus meandratus: Richardson, 1843: 16 View in CoL .

Sciñna meandrata: Parkinson ms in Richardson, 1843: 16 (name in synonymy).

Sciñna mñandrata: Banks ( sic) ms in Richardson and Grey, 1843: 207 (name in synonymy).

Sciñna mñandrites: Solander ms in Richardson and Grey, 1843: 207 (name in synonymy).

Haplodactylus arctidens: GuÈnther, 1859: 435 View in CoL .

Dactylosargus arctidens: Gill, 1862: 112 View in CoL .

Dactylosargus meandratus: Gill, 1862: 112 View in CoL .

Haplodactylus donaldii Haast, 1873: 272 View in CoL , pl. 16 uppermost ®gure ( type locality, Lyttelton , New Zealand).

Haplodactylus meandratus: Hector, 1875: 239 View in CoL .

Parhaplodactylus marmoratus Thominot 1883: 140 ( type locality, Tasmania).

Haplodactylus schauinslandii Steindachner, 1900a: 174 View in CoL ( type locality, New Zealand).

Aplodactylus schauinslandii: Phillipps 1927: 13 View in CoL .

Material examined. Thirty-nine specimens. AustraliaÐVictoria: Bell’s Beach, AMS I.16980-016, 4: 350±360 mm. South Australia: Beachport, SAM F. 7512, 445.5mm *; Waitpinga, SAM F- 5306, 282.7 mm *; Kangaroo Island, Penneshaw, AMS I.20180-063, 255 mm. Tasmania: MNHN A. 7422, 474 mm ( HOLOTYPE of Parhaplodactylu s marmoratus ); Green’s Beach, USNM 227306, 187 mm; USNM 227307, 2: 317±335.3 mm; Badger head, USNM 227304, 273.4 mm; Port Arthur, BMNH 1841.1.14.23, 498 mm ( HOLOTYPE of Aplodactylus arctidens ). New Zealand: Kaipara Harbour, MNOZ P. 3689, 285 mm *; Tapotupotu Bay, MONZ P. 13184, 360 mm; Mount Maunganui, Rabbit I., MONZ P. 18306, 290 mm *; East Cape, Waiaka, MONZ P. 23397, 290 mm *, P. 23402, 330 mm; New Plymouth, MONZ P. 1263, 176.5 mm, Post O ce Rock, MONZ P. 17097, 350 mm *; Wellington Harbour, MONZ P. 1043, 370 mm *; Mana I., MONZ P. 1454, 420 mm *, Palliser Bay, MONZ P. 1595, 410 mm *; D’ Urville I., Rakirua Rocks, MONZ P. 24714, 320 mm *; Queen Charlotte Sound, CMNZ 1715, 157.5 mm; Banks Peninsula, Lyttleton, CMNZ 2084, 174.5 mm *, Ohahoa Bay, CMNZ 1685, 5: 109.5±201.5 mm *, CMNZ 1722, 101 mm *; Dunedin, BMNH 1886.11.18.7, 328 mm; Fiordland, Balleny Reef, MONZ P. 19812, 310 mm *; Chatham I., Te Raki Bay, MONZ P. 26522, 380 mm *, Point Durham, MONZ 26578 420 mm *, Nancy Sound, MONZ P. 16848, 400 mm *, outer Southerland Sound, MONZ P. 21128, 265 mm *; Breaker Bay, MONZ P. 19650, 560 mm *.

Description. Dorsal-®n rays XVI±IX, 16±18; anal-®n rays III, 6±8; pectoral-®n rays i, 13±14; lateral-line scales 100±120; gill rakers 4±8 1 11±15 5 17±22; vertebrae 16 1 18 5 34; epipleural ribs on ®rst 14±15 vertebrae.

Body elongate, greatest depth 3.3±4.7 in SL; head length 3.8±4.8 in SL; snout short, 2.5±3.6 in head; dorsal pro®le of head rounded; orbital diameter 4.4±6.8 in head; interorbital space more or less straight or slightly convex medially, least width of interorbital 3.4±5.8 in head; least depth of caudal peduncle 1.8 ±2.7 in head; peduncle length 2.1±4.0 in head; base of dorsal ®n long, with elongate notch between spinous and soft parts of ®n, basal length of soft dorsal ® n 1.2 ±1.5 in length of spinous part; anal ®n short, basal length 1.9±2.7 in head; pectoral ®n length 0.9±1.6 in head, ventral-most ®ve to six rays simple, ¯eshy; pelvic ®n length 1.2±1.9 in head, rays ¯eshy.

Mouth small, somewhat ventral on head; lips ¯eshy, upper lip projecting, maxilla reaching a vertical through posterior nostril; teeth small, mainly tricuspid, a few lanceolate, in three to four rows in jaws, outermost row of teeth largest; vomerine teeth in small patch; two pairs of nostrils, anterior pair with ¯eshy tentaculate ¯aps on anteroventral margin and posteroventral margin; opercle with broad ¯at spine which does not extend to the ¯eshy margin; scales small, cycloid, embedded, extending on to cheeks and opercles, and forming a sheath along base of spinous dorsal ®n.

Colour in alcohol. Dark brownish, with paler reticulated markings over body and ®ns, except for ventral surface which is pale.

Colour in life. Variable from grey to greenish brown with variable whitish blotches and reticulations.

Distribution. Southern Australia, including Tasmania, from Kangaroo Island ( South Australia) to Wilsons Promontory ( Victoria) (Turner and Norman, 1998); New Zealand (North and South Island, and Chatham Island); and Snares Islands ( Hardy, 1986). Common in seaweed-covered reef areas down to about 20 m.

Remarks. Aplodactylus arctidens was originally described from Tasmania by Richardson (1839). However, he later applied the name Sciaena (5 Aplodactylus ) maeandratus ( Richardson, 1842) based on Solander’s ms name and Parkinson’s ®gure of a specimen from New Zealand (no longer extant) collected during Cook’s voyage ( Whitehead, 1968). Other synonyms are Haplodactylus donaldii Haast from New Zealand; Parhaplodactylu s marmoratus Thominot from Tasmania (Bauchot and Desoutter, 1989); and Haplodactylus schauinslandii Steindachner from New Zealand, the description of which ®rst appeared in an abstract (Steindachner, 1900a) that was issued ahead of the full description and plate of this species (Steindachner, 1900b). Haplodactylus fergussoni Hector is not a species of Aplodactylus , and has been referred to the synonomy of Chironemus marmoratus (family Chironemidae ) by McCulloch (1929).

Aplodactylus arctidens is readily distinguishable from other species of Aplodactylus by its reticulate pattern of pale markings on the body and ®ns.

Attains a maximum size of about 65 cm; A. arctidens is an algal grazer with red algae dominating in the diet ( Russell, 1983; Choat and Clements, 1992). A poor food ®sh,`its ¯esh is coarse, with a rank ¯avour’ (Hector, 1875). Commonly known as Seacarp ( Australia), Marble®sh or Kehei ( New Zealand).