BODIANUS PARALEUCOSTICTICUS - (GOMON, 2006)
Picture courtesy of: Alain Daoulas
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Labriformes (Order) > Labroidei (Suborder) > Labridae (Family) > Bodianus (Genus)Labre à cinq bandes, Vieille à cinq bandes, Five-striped hogfish,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 12, dorsal fin with long spines, the first spine 7.8-8.1% SL, second spine 9.5-10.3% SL, and 12th spine 15.0-16.7% SL; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3, anal fin's first spine: 6.6-8.8% SL and third spine 15.1-17.7% SL; Anal soft rays: 12; Pectoral-fin rays: 2, 14; Lateral-line scales: 30 + 2; Scales above lateral line: 4.5 or 5; Scales below lateral line: ≈11-13; Predorsal scales: 18-19, reaching forward barely beyond above center of eye on dorsal midline of head; Total gill rakers: 15-17. Body moderately shallow, caudal peduncle of moderate depth; Head and snout pointed; Dorsal outline of snout and forehead mostly straight in lateral aspect; Nape only slightly convex; Jaws slightly attenuate. Scaly basal sheath on dorsal and anal fins of moderate height, about 2.5 scales in depth; Distal outline of sheath gently curved though somewhat straighter posteriorly. Predorsal scales reaching forward barely beyond above center of eye on dorsal midline of head, nearly to above anterior edge of orbit somewhat laterally. Cheek scales reaching forward slightly in advance of corner of mouth on upper side of jaws, reaching nearly to free preopercular edge posteriorly and ventrally leaving only an irregular narrow naked preopercular margin; Subopercle completely scaled, scales on lower jaw extending forward to midpoint between corner of mouth and anterior tip of lower jaw. Lateral-line scales each with singular laterosensory canal tube flexed dorsally near posterior edge of scale. Posterior edge of preopercle with minute serrations ventrally. Posterior corner of mouth at vertical midway between center of eye and forward extent of orbit. Gill rakers mostly simple, no abrupt difference in size between rakers on upper and lower limbs of gill arch. Upper jaw with first prominent anterior canine nearly equal or slightly smaller than second; first canine directed anteroventrally and curved ventrally; second canine directed ventrolaterally; 8-12 mostly small teeth of uneven size posterior to prominent anterior canines, best developed posteriorly; single (rarely: 2) prominent canine at posterior end of jaw directed anteroventrolaterally, though somewhat stronger anteriorly. Lower jaw with first prominent anterior canine about 2⁄3 size of second; first canine directed anterodorsally and slightly mesially; Second directed anterodorsally, often slightly laterally and curved dorsally; dental ridge prominent on anterior half of jaw with 5-9 small teeth becoming progressively longer posteriorly; second row of 2 slightly larger teeth immediately behind followed closely by third row of 2-3 distinctly smaller teeth. Several small canines on vomer. Posterior tip of dorsal fin rounded, not quite reaching posterior edge of hypurals. Posterior tip of anal fin broadly pointed, reaching distinctly short of posterior edge of hypurals. Caudal fin truncate. Pectoral fin with dorsal rays much longer than ventral rays; posterior edge of fin straight; Fin broadly rounded ventrally. Tip of pelvic fin nearly reaching or just reaching past anus. Max. length: 9.9 cm SL. Depth range: 25 - 115 m, usually: 50 - 115 m.
Color
Adults: body pink dorsally, white below, with 4 narrow red stripes becoming yellow posteriorly (corresponding in position to uppermost dusky body stripes described above); Fifth stripe red on head and yellow on sides, originating at corner of mouth and continuing horizontally just below pectoral-fin base to underside of caudal peduncle (all five stripes completely yellow in smaller paratype). Row of small black spots along center of each of the upper 4 red and yellow body stripes anteriorly, with additional row about midway between and parallel with second and third, and third and fourth stripes anteriorly. Three moderately small white spots below second stripe, evenly spaced under posterior half of dorsal fin. Broad red stripe from anterior edge of orbit to upper lip. Large black spot covering posterior portion of fleshy pectoral-fin base and axilla. Dorsal fin yellow with pink spines and scaly base, membranes hyaline posteriorly, large black spot between first and fourth spines. Caudal fin mostly pale yellow. Anal fin white with faint orange to yellow blotches. Pelvic fin white. Pectoral fin mostly transparent.
Etymology
Bodianus: after Bodiano or Pudiano, from the Portuguese pudor, meaning modesty (Jordan & Evermann, 1896).
paraleucosticticus: from Greek, para = near + from Greek, leukos = white + from Greek, stiktos = spotted. In reference to the close relationship between this species and Bodianus leucosticticus (Bennett, 1832).
Original description: Bodianus paraleucosticticus Gomon, 2006 - Type locality: Rarotonga, the most populous island of the Cook Islands.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Cook Islands; Probably more widespread.
Biology
Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Aquarium fish (very rare).
Similar species
Bodianus leucosticticus (Bennett, 1832) - Reported from Indo-West Pacific: Réunion, Mauritius (western Mascarenes); Myanmar east to Indonesia and Taiwan, north to southern Japan. Bodianus paraleucosticticus differs from Bodianus leucosticticus in having a larger and more prominent black spot at the front of the dorsal fin, and a yellow rather than a red ventral stripe on the side, longer medial-fin spines, predorsal scales reaching forward on the dorsal midline of the head to about the centre of the eye and apparently reaching a smaller maximum size.
Adults: body pink dorsally, white below, with 4 narrow red stripes becoming yellow posteriorly (corresponding in position to uppermost dusky body stripes described above); Fifth stripe red on head and yellow on sides, originating at corner of mouth and continuing horizontally just below pectoral-fin base to underside of caudal peduncle (all five stripes completely yellow in smaller paratype). Row of small black spots along center of each of the upper 4 red and yellow body stripes anteriorly, with additional row about midway between and parallel with second and third, and third and fourth stripes anteriorly. Three moderately small white spots below second stripe, evenly spaced under posterior half of dorsal fin. Broad red stripe from anterior edge of orbit to upper lip. Large black spot covering posterior portion of fleshy pectoral-fin base and axilla. Dorsal fin yellow with pink spines and scaly base, membranes hyaline posteriorly, large black spot between first and fourth spines. Caudal fin mostly pale yellow. Anal fin white with faint orange to yellow blotches. Pelvic fin white. Pectoral fin mostly transparent.
Etymology
Bodianus: after Bodiano or Pudiano, from the Portuguese pudor, meaning modesty (Jordan & Evermann, 1896).
paraleucosticticus: from Greek, para = near + from Greek, leukos = white + from Greek, stiktos = spotted. In reference to the close relationship between this species and Bodianus leucosticticus (Bennett, 1832).
Original description: Bodianus paraleucosticticus Gomon, 2006 - Type locality: Rarotonga, the most populous island of the Cook Islands.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Cook Islands; Probably more widespread.
Biology
Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Aquarium fish (very rare).
Similar species
Bodianus leucosticticus (Bennett, 1832) - Reported from Indo-West Pacific: Réunion, Mauritius (western Mascarenes); Myanmar east to Indonesia and Taiwan, north to southern Japan. Bodianus paraleucosticticus differs from Bodianus leucosticticus in having a larger and more prominent black spot at the front of the dorsal fin, and a yellow rather than a red ventral stripe on the side, longer medial-fin spines, predorsal scales reaching forward on the dorsal midline of the head to about the centre of the eye and apparently reaching a smaller maximum size.