Taxonomic revision of the flathead fish genus Platycephalus Bloch, 1785 (Teleostei: Platycephalidae) from Australia, with description of a new species
Author
Imamura, Hisashi
text
Zootaxa
2015
3904
2
151
207
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3904.2.1
adefe9de-0ca5-479a-b736-ad242c7f0fe4
1175-5326
233552
CEC37C0D-A25D-43C1-8F3C-127919282F35
Platycephalus grandispinis
Cuvier
in
Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1829
Common English name: Longspine flathead (
Figs. 6–7
)
Platycephalus grandispinis
Cuvier
in
Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1829
: 242
(
type
locality: unknown);
Imamura, 2013b
: 187
, figs. 1–3, 5–6, 8–9.
Platycephalus longispinis
Macleay, 1884
: 170
(
type
locality: outside Port Jackson, NSW,
Australia
);
McCulloch, 1929
: 401
;
Coleman, 1980
: 108
, unnumbered color fig.;
Hutchins & Thompson, 1983
: 78
, fig. 111;
Hutchins & Swainston, 1986
: 127
, fig. 199;
May & Maxwell, 1986
: 276
, unnumbered fig.;
Paxton & Hanley, 1989
: 469
;
Knapp, 1991
: 29
, tab. 3;
Kuiter 1993
: 102
, unnumbered fig.;
Hoese
et al
., 2006
: 942
; Imamura, 2006: 305, tab. 1.
Longitrudis longispinis
:
Whitley, 1931a
: 327
;
Whitley, 1931b
: 159
;
Whitley, 1964
: 57
.
Material examined.
Holotype
:
MNHN
6844, 212 mm
SL
, locality unknown [see
Imamura (2013b)
who inferred the
holotype
as having been collected from the area between Shark Bay (ca. 25°S) and Doubtful Islands (ca. 120°E)].
Other specimens:
44 specimens
, including
AMS
I.16355-001,
233 mm
SL
,
holotype
of
Platycephalus longispinis
Macleay, 1884
, 120–
286 mm
SL
, from southeastern to southwestern
Australia
, listed in
Imamura (2013b)
.
Diagnosis.
A species of
Platycephalus
with the following combination of characters: 14 second dorsal- and anal-fin rays; 73–82 pored lateral-line scales; gill rakers 4–7 + 14–19 = 19–26; interorbit becoming broader with growth, shorter than orbital diameter; a distinct interopercular flap absent (sometimes a small flap or weak convexity present); supraoccipital with a ridge, usually ending in a spine; lower preopercular spine much longer than upper, usually closely approaching posterior margin of opercle, ratio of lower/upper spines 1.9–3.3, tending to become smaller with growth; upper jaw without large caniniform teeth; head and body without small dark dots; posteroventral portion of caudal fin with a blackish or dark brownish marking.
Description.
A full description was given by
Imamura (2013b)
.
Distribution.
Known from southeastern to southwestern
Australia
, from Fraser Island, Qld (ca. 25°S), across NSW, Vic and SA to Shark Bay, WA (ca. 25°S) in depths from ca.
17 to 91 m
(e.g.,
Hutchins and Thompson, 1983
;
Kuiter, 1993
;
Hoese
et al
., 2006
;
Imamura, 2013b
; this study).
Size.
Maximum length
38 cm
(
May & Maxwell, 1986
;
Kuiter, 1993
). The largest specimen examined during the present study was
286 mm
SL (
332 mm
TL).
Remarks.
The name
Platycephalus grandispinis
had been largely forgotten until
Imamura (2013b)
showed it to have priority over a well-known species,
P. longispinis
, following detailed examinations of
holotypes
of the two nominal species (
Figs. 7
) and non-type specimens. See
Imamura (2013b)
for a discussion of
P. grandispinis
. A comparison of
P. grandispinis
with
P. bassensis
is provided herein under the latter.