ACANTHOPAGRUS AKAZAKII - (IWATSUKI, KIMURA & YOSHINO, 2006)
Actinopterygii (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Sparidae (Family) > Acanthopagrus (Genus)
New Caledonian seabream,
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Description
Dorsal fin rays XI, 11; anal fin rays usually III, 8 (rarely 9, 1 of 12 specimens); pectoral fin rays 15 (rarely 14, 1 of 13 specimens); 41/2 scale rows between 5th dorsal fin spine base and lateral line; 41/2 scale rows above lateral line, 12 or 13 scale rows below; pored lateral line scales 44–46; upward- and downward-oriented portions developed in anteriormost upper lip with growth, a downward portion also in anteriormost lower lip, particularly in specimens over ca. 160mm SL, a ventral lacrimal-suborbital series above posterior part of upper jaw remaining almost straight even throughout growth ; second anal fin spine robust and flattened ; anteriormost head scales rounded without small scales anteriorly ; upper and lower molar teeth strongly developed on both sides and somewhat flat in trend ; upper head profile becoming gently convex from snout to above eye with growth; upper margin of spinous and soft dorsal fin and posterior margin of caudal fin black; membrane of pelvic and anal fins black except for a few posteriormost anal fin rays.
Body compressed; mouth somewhat oblique; maxillary reaching to below middle of pupil and larger than eye diameter; lower jaw included; jaw teeth in 3–5 crowded rows, anteriorly about 6 (6 or 7) curved canines in upper jaw and 6 in lower jaw; suborbital depth slightly less than dermal eye opening (clearly less than dermal eye opening); 5 (5 or 6) irregular transverse rows of scales on preopercle; anterodorsal profile slightly convex from above eye; dorsal spines strong, second almost twice length of first, which shorter than third; fourth or fifth spine longest; longest soft dorsal ray shorter than longest spine; first anal spine short, much less than eye; third anal spine shorter than second spine, which slightly longer than snout; first anal fin ray equal length to third anal spine (slightly longer than third one); pectoral fin tip almost reaching level with first anal fin spine base, length clearly greater than head length; longest pelvic fin ray clearly less than head length; pelvic fin spine longer than snout.
Color
Head and body silvery- or golden-gray, ventral portion of head and abdomen whitish; dorsal, caudal, anal, and pectoral fins dusky.
Etymology
Acanthopagrus: Greek, akantha = thorn + Greek, pagros, a kind of fish.
akazakii: The specific name is proposed in memory of the late Dr. Masato Akazaki in honor of his sparid studies.
Distribution
Currently known only from New Caledonia. According to local fishermen and commercial buyers, the species is common around Noumea. Efforts to locate specimens from Australia, the Indo-Malayan region, Philippines, Gulf of Thailand, China, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as the Indian Ocean, either by field sampling or in museum collections, were in vain. The species may be endemic to the immediate New Caledonia region.
Similar species
Acanthopagrus akazakii is most similar to Acanthopagrus berda (Forsskål, 1775) in overall appearance but differs from the latter in having 41/2 scale rows between the 5th dorsal fin spine base and lateral line, anteriormost head scales broadly rounded without small scales anteriorly, upward- and downward-oriented portions present on anteriormost part of upper lip, a downward oriented portion on anteriormost part of lower lip in specimens over ca. 160 mm in standard length, and upper head profile gently convex from snout tip to above eye throughout growth (vs. 31/2 scale rows between 5th dorsal fin spine base and lateral line, anteriormost head scales rounded with small scales anteriorly, no upward and downward portions in anteriormost upper and lower lips, and upper head profile becoming concave from snout tip to above eye with growth). Furthermore, Acanthopagrus berda develops a strong concavity of the ventral edge of the first two infraorbitals above the posterior part of upper jaw with growth, whereas Acanthopagrus akazakii has a generally straight series throughout growth.
New Caledonian seabream,
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Description
Dorsal fin rays XI, 11; anal fin rays usually III, 8 (rarely 9, 1 of 12 specimens); pectoral fin rays 15 (rarely 14, 1 of 13 specimens); 41/2 scale rows between 5th dorsal fin spine base and lateral line; 41/2 scale rows above lateral line, 12 or 13 scale rows below; pored lateral line scales 44–46; upward- and downward-oriented portions developed in anteriormost upper lip with growth, a downward portion also in anteriormost lower lip, particularly in specimens over ca. 160mm SL, a ventral lacrimal-suborbital series above posterior part of upper jaw remaining almost straight even throughout growth ; second anal fin spine robust and flattened ; anteriormost head scales rounded without small scales anteriorly ; upper and lower molar teeth strongly developed on both sides and somewhat flat in trend ; upper head profile becoming gently convex from snout to above eye with growth; upper margin of spinous and soft dorsal fin and posterior margin of caudal fin black; membrane of pelvic and anal fins black except for a few posteriormost anal fin rays.
Body compressed; mouth somewhat oblique; maxillary reaching to below middle of pupil and larger than eye diameter; lower jaw included; jaw teeth in 3–5 crowded rows, anteriorly about 6 (6 or 7) curved canines in upper jaw and 6 in lower jaw; suborbital depth slightly less than dermal eye opening (clearly less than dermal eye opening); 5 (5 or 6) irregular transverse rows of scales on preopercle; anterodorsal profile slightly convex from above eye; dorsal spines strong, second almost twice length of first, which shorter than third; fourth or fifth spine longest; longest soft dorsal ray shorter than longest spine; first anal spine short, much less than eye; third anal spine shorter than second spine, which slightly longer than snout; first anal fin ray equal length to third anal spine (slightly longer than third one); pectoral fin tip almost reaching level with first anal fin spine base, length clearly greater than head length; longest pelvic fin ray clearly less than head length; pelvic fin spine longer than snout.
Color
Head and body silvery- or golden-gray, ventral portion of head and abdomen whitish; dorsal, caudal, anal, and pectoral fins dusky.
Etymology
Acanthopagrus: Greek, akantha = thorn + Greek, pagros, a kind of fish.
akazakii: The specific name is proposed in memory of the late Dr. Masato Akazaki in honor of his sparid studies.
Distribution
Currently known only from New Caledonia. According to local fishermen and commercial buyers, the species is common around Noumea. Efforts to locate specimens from Australia, the Indo-Malayan region, Philippines, Gulf of Thailand, China, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as the Indian Ocean, either by field sampling or in museum collections, were in vain. The species may be endemic to the immediate New Caledonia region.
Similar species
Acanthopagrus akazakii is most similar to Acanthopagrus berda (Forsskål, 1775) in overall appearance but differs from the latter in having 41/2 scale rows between the 5th dorsal fin spine base and lateral line, anteriormost head scales broadly rounded without small scales anteriorly, upward- and downward-oriented portions present on anteriormost part of upper lip, a downward oriented portion on anteriormost part of lower lip in specimens over ca. 160 mm in standard length, and upper head profile gently convex from snout tip to above eye throughout growth (vs. 31/2 scale rows between 5th dorsal fin spine base and lateral line, anteriormost head scales rounded with small scales anteriorly, no upward and downward portions in anteriormost upper and lower lips, and upper head profile becoming concave from snout tip to above eye with growth). Furthermore, Acanthopagrus berda develops a strong concavity of the ventral edge of the first two infraorbitals above the posterior part of upper jaw with growth, whereas Acanthopagrus akazakii has a generally straight series throughout growth.