Revision of the Australian Wet Tropics endemic rainbowfish genus Cairnsichthys (Atheriniformes: Melanotaeniidae), with description of a new species
Author
Hammer, Michael P.
Author
Allen, Gerald R.
Author
Martin, Keith C.
Author
Adams, Mark
Author
Ebner, Brendan C.
Author
Raadik, Tarmo A.
Author
Unmack, Peter J.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-04-23
4413
2
271
294
journal article
30212
10.11646/zootaxa.4413.2.3
a8801b43-1b7f-446c-bb04-f73f6b1337c6
1175-5326
1226945
4876517F-FE49-4787-8991-A8BF9EE96181
Genus
Cairnsichthys
Allen, 1980
Cairnsichthys
Allen (1980): 471
(type species,
Rhadinocentrus rhombosomoides
Nichols & Raven, 1928
by original designation)—Aarn & Ivantsoff (1997): 112.
Diagnosis:
A gEnuS Of
MELAnOtAEnIIDAE
wItH tHE fOLLOwIng cOmbInAtIOn Of cHARActERS (fOLLOwS ALLEn 1980): RELAtIvELY ELOngAtE, LAtERALLY cOmPRESSED bODY; gREAtESt bODY DEPtH 3.5–5.3 In SL; PREmAxILLARIES wItH A DIStInct bEnD bEtwEEn tHE HORIZOntAL AntERIOR PORtIOn AnD LAtERAL PARt; jAw tEEtH vILLIfORm tO cOnIcAL In SEvERAL ROwS, ExtEnDIng OutSIDE Of mOutH AnD cLEARLY vISIbLE wHEn mOutH cLOSED; vOmER AnD PALAtInES tOOtHLESS; IntER-DORSAL PtERYgIOPHORES 2 OR 3; fIRSt DORSAL fIn cOnSIStIng Of 4–7 SLEnDER, fLExIbLE SPInES, SEcOnD DORSAL fIn wItH SLEnDER, fLExIbLE SPInE (SOmEtImES unSEgmEntED OR wItH vERY wEAk SEgmEntAtIOn vISIbLE OnLY unDER HIgH mAgnIfIcAtIOn) AnD 11–15 SEgmEntED RAYS; AnAL fIn wItH SLEnDER, fLExIbLE SPInE AnD 17–22 SEgmEntED RAYS; AnAL fIn ORIgIn On AntERIOR HALf Of bODY; SOft, SEgmEntED RAYS gEnERALLY bRAncHED ExcEPt fIRSt 2–5 RAYS Of SEcOnD DORSAL fIn AnD fIRSt 6–10 RAYS Of AnAL fIn; tOtAL vERtEbRAE 36–40; PARAHYPuRAL AutOgEnOuS; PELvIc gIRDLE wItHOut AntERIOR PROjEctIOnS At vEntRAL mID-LInE; LAtERAL wIng Of PELvIc gIRDLE AncHORED tO fOuRtH PLEuRAL RIb; DORSAL HEAD Of cLEItHRum wItH mODERAtELY DEvELOPED POStERIOR PROjEctIOn; ScALES cYcLOID wItH wELL-DEvELOPED RADII, HORIZOntAL ROwS On bODY At LEvEL Of AnAL fIn uSuALLY 11 (10–11), vERtIcAL ROwS fROm uPPER PEctORAL fIn bASE tO cAuDAL fIn bASE 36–40; tOtAL gILL RAkERS On fIRSt gILL ARcH 10–16 (0–4 + 8–13); SExuAL DIffEREncES SLIgHt, RELAtED mAInLY tO fIn cOLOuRAtIOn.
Remarks:
tHE gEnuS IS REStRIctED tO tHE WEt TROPIcS Of nORtH-EAStERn
QuEEnSLAnD
AnD cOntAInS twO SPEcIES,
C. rhombosomoides
AnD A nEw SPEcIES DEScRIbED HEREIn. THE
tYPE
SPEcIES wAS ORIgInALLY PLAcED In
Rhadinocentrus
REgAn, 1914, A mOnOtYPIc gEnuS InHAbItIng cOAStAL DRAInAgES Of SOutHERn
QuEEnSLAnD
AnD
nORtHERn
NEw SOutH
WALES
. SubSEquEntLY ALLEn (1980) PROvIDED EvIDEncE fOR ItS REcOgnItIOn
AS
A SEPARAtE gEnuS bASED On tHE fOLLOwIng mORPHOLOgIcAL DIffEREncES wItH
R. ornatus
REgAn, 1914: (1) ScALE RADII AbSEnt OR wEAkLY DEvELOPED In
rhombosomoides
, AnD wELL-DEvELOPED In
ornatus
; (2) nO DEntIcuLAtIOnS On OtOLItH mARgIn Of
ornatus
, AnD wELL- DEvELOPED DEntIcuLAtIOnS In
rhombosomoides
; (3) nO AntERIOR PROjEctIOnS Of PELvIc gIRDLE At vEntRAL mID-LInE Of
rhombosomoides
, AnD PROjEctIOnS PRESEnt In
ornatus
; (4) LAtERAL wIng Of PELvIc gIRDLE AncHORED tO SEcOnD OR tHIRD RIb In
ornatus
, AnD fOuRtH RIb In
rhombosomoides
; (5) uSuALLY 8–9 HORIZOntAL ScALE ROwS In
ornatus
, AnD 11 In
rhombosomoides
[10–11 tHIS StuDY]; (6) PARAHYPuRAL AutOgEnOuS In
rhombosomoides
, AnD fuSED tO LOwER HYPuRAL PLAtE In
ornatus
; (7) vERtEbRAE uSuALLY 35 In
ornatus
AnD 36 OR 37 In
rhombosomoides
[36–40 tHIS StuDY]; (8) RELAtIvELY fEw ExtERnAL tEEtH On LAtERAL PORtIOn Of PREmAxILLARY, ARRAngED In A SIngLE ROw In
ornatus
, AnD numEROuS, ARRAngED In muLtIPLE ROwS In
rhombosomoides
; AnD (9) LOwER jAw Of
ornatus
wItH DEfInItE PROtRuSIOn, AnD tHAt Of
rhombosomoides
nEARLY EquAL wItH uPPER jAw. THESE DIAgnOStIc DIffEREncES wERE DIScuSSED AnD ILLuStRAtED bY ALLEn (1980). DEtAILED OStEOLOgIcAL RESEARcH bY AARn & IvAntSOff (1997) PROvIDES ADDItIOnAL gEnERIc DIAgnOStIc cHARActERS wHIcH LIkELY ALSO APPLY tO tHE nEw SPEcIES, but REquIRE cOnfIRmAtIOn (E.g. mARkEDLY cOnvEx ROStRAL mARgIn Of tHE vOmER, EncLOSED mAnDIbuLAR SEnSORY cAnAL, PELvIc fIn LAckIng cRAnIAL SPInOuS PROcESS).
Etymology:
nAmED wItH REfEREncE tO tHE cItY Of CAIRnS,
QuEEnSLAnD
, tHE gEnERAL REgIOn wHERE
C. rhombosomoides
OccuRS. THE gEnDER IS cOnSIDERED mAScuLInE.