New Species of Emblemaria (Teleostei: Chaenopsidae) from Northern Brazil

Copeia, 2003(1), pp. 95–98

New Species of Emblemaria (Teleostei: Chaenopsidae) from Northern Brazil ROBSON T. C. RAMOS, CLAUDIA R. ROCHA,

AND

LUIZ A. ROCHA

The genus Emblemaria presently includes 14 species, five in the eastern Pacific and nine in the western North Atlantic. Several individuals of an undescribed species of this genus were obtained by trawling along the northeastern Brazilian coast in 1981, in depths between 10 and 30 m. This new Emblemaria species best agrees with Emblemaria pandionis in counts and morphometrics, but differs in the number of palatine teeth and in the height of the first dorsal fin spine. The only other Atlantic species having an elongated first dorsal fin spine is Emblemaria hyltoni, but it differs from the new species mainly by having only two obvious segmented pelvic fin rays, and also by having a much longer first dorsal fin spine. Emblemaria australis sp. nov. is sexually dimorphic in several characters. This new species is found mostly over sand and rubble bottoms of the northeastern Brazilian continental shelf. O geˆnero Emblemaria atualmente inclui 14 espe´cies, cinco no Pacı´fico leste e nove no Atlaˆntico Norte ocidental. Muitos indivı´duos de uma espe´cie na˜o descrita deste geˆnero foram obtidos atrave´s de dragagens ao longo da costa do nordeste do Brasil em 1981, em profundidades entre 10 e 30 m. Esta nova espe´cie de Emblemaria concorda melhor com Emblemaria pandionis em contagens e morfometria, mas difere no nu´mero de dentes palatinos e altura do primeiro espinho da nadadeira dorsal. A u´nica outra espe´cie que tem o primeiro espinho dorsal alongado no Atlaˆntico e´ Emblemaria hyltoni, mas esta difere da nova espe´cie principalmente por possuir apenas dois raios segmentados o´bvios na nadadeira pe´lvica, e tambe´m por possuir o primeiro espinho da dorsal muito mais longo. Emblemaria australis sp. nov. e´ sexualmente dimo´rfica em va´rios caracteres. Esta nova espe´cie e´ encontrada principalmente sobre fundos de areia e cascalho da plataforma continental do nordeste brasileiro.

T

HE new world genus Emblemaria presently includes 14 recognized species (most commonly known as sailfin blennies), five in the eastern Pacific and nine in the western North Atlantic. It is mainly characterized by the presence of sexually dimorphic dorsal fins (high and sail-like in males), a single pair of orbital cirri, first three dorsal spines closer together than remaining rays, and pelvic fins longer than pectorals (Stephens, 1961). The most recent reviews of the genus are those by Stephens (1963, 1970). After that, Johnson and Greenfield (1976) and Acero (1984) described two additional species from the western North Atlantic. During trawling surveys along the northeastern Brazilian Coast in 1981, several specimens of an undescribed Chaenopsidae were collected. This first south Atlantic species of the genus Emblemaria is herein described. MATERIAL

AND

METHODS

Specimens were collected by trawling off the northeastern Brazilian coast, between depths of 10 and 30m off the northeastern Brazilian coast,

during expeditions of the Projeto Algas Marinhas do Nordeste Brasileiro, to survey of the algae of northeast Brazil. Counts and measurements followed the methods described by Stephens (1970) and Johnson and Greenfield (1976). Measurements were taken with dial calipers and recorded to the nearest tenth millimeter. Very small distances were measured with an ocular micrometer on a Zeiss microscope. Lengths are given as the standard length (SL) in mm, other measurements are given as percentage of SL. The nomenclature of the cephalic sensory system pores of Smith-Vaniz and Palacio (1974) is followed as modified by Johnson and Greenfield (1976). Institutional abbreviations follow Leviton et al. (1985), except for UFPB, which refers to Universidade Federal da Paraı´ba, Joa˜o Pessoa, Brazil. Type specimens were deposited at UFPB, MZUSP, USNM and UF. Emblemaria australis n. sp. Figures 1, 2A–D Emblemaria sp.: Carvalho-Filho, 1999: 202, (South Atlantic, off Northeastern Brazil).

q 2003 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

96

COPEIA, 2003, NO. 1

Fig. 1. Emblemaria australis sp. nov., adult male, 23.4 mm SL, UFPB 1588, holotype, Paraı´ba State continental shelf. Drawing by R. T. C. Ramos.

Holotype.—UFPB 1588 (23.4 mm SL male), Brazil, Paraı´ba State continental shelf (78219S, 348389W, depth 20 m), 13 May 1981. Paratypes.—From the continental shelf, Paraı´ba State, Brazil: UFPB 1570 (22.5 mm male) 78109S, 348429W, 26 March 1981. UFPB 1572 (4: 13.7–15.9 mm females) 78259S, 348409W, 7 May 1981. UFPB 1591 (16 mm female) 78189S, 348339W, 14 May 1981. UFPB 1847 (19.6 mm male) 78319S, 348429W, 23 January 1981. UFPB 1849 (24 mm male) 78289S, 348409W, 5 May 1981. UFPB 1850 (20.1 mm male) 78189S, 348339W, 14 May 1981. UFPB 1858 (12.5 mm female) 78049S, 348449W, 16 June 1981. UFPB 1867 (26.5 mm female) 78109S, 348459W, 26 March 1981. UF 112272 (18.4 mm female) 78259S, 348409W, 7 May 1981. UF 112273 (20.7 mm male) 78109S, 348389W, 26 March 1981. USNM 361061 (22.1 mm female) 68509S, 348479W, 11 March 1981. USNM 361062 (20.2 mm female) 78259S, 348409W, 7 May 1981. MZUSP 62004 (16.8 mm female) 78259S, 348409W, 7 May 1981. From the continental shelf, Alagoas State, Brazil: MZUSP 62003 (24 mm male) 108009S, 358569W, 8 May 1981. Nontypes.—Brazil: ANSP 168363 (2), ANSP 168364 (1), ANSP 168365 (1). No specific locality, collector or date of collection on record. Diagnosis.—Differs from all other species of Emblemaria with three obvious pelvic fin rays and lacking a flaglike flap on the dorsal fin in having the following combination of characters: 18–20 dorsal fin spines (vs 21–22 in E. atlantica, and 22 in Emblemaria biocellata and Emblemaria culmensis); anal fin rays 20–22, usually 21 (vs 21– 23, usually 23 in E. atlantica, and 24 in E. culmensis); first dorsal fin spine of males elongate, almost always twice as long as second spine (vs same size as or smaller than second in E. atlantica, E. biocellata, E. culmensis and Emblemaria pan-

Fig. 2. Supraorbital cirrus of Emblemaria australis: (A) adult male, 23.4 mm SL, UFPB 1588, holotype; (B) adult male, 19.6 mm SL, UFPB 1847; (C) adult female, 26.5 mm SL, UFPB 1867; (D) female, 15.2 mm SL, UFPB 1572.

dionis); palatine teeth 12–15, usually 14 (vs 10– 12 in E. pandionis); subdivided supraorbital cirrus in males (Fig. 2A–B; vs simple or trifid cirrus E. pandionis, and simple in E. atlantica, E. biocellata and E. culmensis). Description.—Total dorsal fin rays 32–35 (XVIII– XX, 13–16); anal-fin rays II, 20–22, usually 21; pectoral fin rays 12–14, usually 13; pelvic fin rays I, 3; caudal fin with 13 segmented rays. Measurements (as percentages of standard length) of holotype, followed by those of the largest female paratype (in parenthesis), are as follows: standard length 23.4 (26.5), predorsal length, 17.1 (19.2); preanal length, 42.7 (46); body depth, 14.6 (16.5); head length, 24.4 (28.3); head width, 12.4 (13.2); orbital diameter, 6 (7.5); interorbital width, 3 (2.3); orbital cirrus length, 4.7 (3.4); nasal cirrus length, 2.1 (1.9); first dorsal fin spine, 47 (27.2); second dorsal fin spine, 23.1 (23.7); fifth dorsal fin spine, 29.1 (26.4); pectoral fin length (longest ray), 21.8 (20.4); pelvic fin length (first ray), 23.1 (22.3). A small member of the genus, the largest individual a female 26.5 mm SL. Body elongate, compressed, greatest depth at pelvic fin base. Head moderate to large (24.4–35.1% SL), dorsal profile declivous from dorsal origin to snout. Snout very short (1.2–3.3% SL). Nasals separated by a shallow depression. Surface of head lacking spines. Anterior nostril tubular. Upper and lower jaws with fleshy lips. Jaw teeth numerous, small, uniserial. Palatine teeth equal in size to jaw teeth, uniserial, numbering 12 to 15 on large paratypes, 14 on holotype. A single band of minute vomerine teeth, difficult to see, numbering 3 to 5 on large paratypes, 5 on holotype. Posterior nostril pore like, situated anterolateral and very close to anterofrontal pore. Orbital cirrus about two-thirds the orbital diameter, simple or with subdivided tip, originating over eye just anterior to midpoint of dorsal mar-

RAMOS ET AL.—NEW EMBLEMARIA FROM BRAZIL

97

TABLE 1. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS OF DORSAL, ANAL AND PECTORAL FIN RAY COUNTS IN WESTERN ATLANTIC SPECIES OF Emblemaria WITH THREE OBVIOUS PELVIC FIN RAYS AND LACKING A FLAGLIKE FLAP ON THE DORSAL FIN. Counts of holotype of Emblemaria australis in bold. Based partially on Bo¨hlke (1957), Stephens (1963), Greenfield and Johnson (1981), and Acero (1984). Dorsal fin spines

Dorsal fin rays

Species

18

19

20

21

22

atlantica australis biocellata culmensis pandionis

— 3 — — —

— 20 — — 1

— 2 — — 49

7 20 — — — 3 — 1 13 3

13

14

Total dorsal elements 17

32

33

34

35

36

38

20

21

23

24

12

— 6 15 1 4 17 — 1 2 — — 1 5 43 12

6 3 — — 5

— — — — 1

— 1 — — —

— 3 — — 3

— 20 — — 43

— 1 — — 8

7 19 1 — — — 1 2 — — 1 — 4 7 1

— 4 — — 4

2 8 16 16 5 — — 2 1 — — — 32 19 11

— — — 1 —

— 5 19 1 22 2 — 3 — — 1 — 7 113 6

Sexual dimorphism.—Males exhibit a well-developed genital papilla, an elongate first dorsal fin spine (34.2–60.2% SL), its length 1.8 to 2.1 that of second, and a subdivided orbital cirrus (Fig. 2). The spines show a slight increase in length from the second to the fifth, and after that decrease posteriorly, the terminal spine usually being two-thirds the height of the first soft ray (Fig. 1). Females have shorter genital papilla than males, no elongated elements on dorsal fin, the first spine is the longest (17.2–35.4% SL), its length 0.7 to 1.2 that of second, and simple or bifid orbital cirrus (Fig. 2). Etymology.—The word australis from the Latin (meaning inhabitant of the south) is an allusion to the distribution of this species, the only representative of the genus known to occur in the South Atlantic. To be treated as a noun in apposition.

22

Pectoral fin rays

16

gin of eye. Nasal cirrus slender, simple or bifid and slightly shorter than orbital cirrus, originating on distal margin of posterior wall of anterior nostril. Cephalic sensory pores of holotype and largest female paratype: Mandibular, 4. Preopercular, 5. Posttemporal, 4. Supratemporal, 3. Infraorbital, 6. Supraorbital, 2. Comissural, 1. Anterofrontal, 1. Nasal, 1. Number of pores given for each side of head except for supratemporal series. First dorsal fin high and sail like in males (Fig. 1), lacking an anterior flaglike flap. Bases of first three dorsal spines visibly closer to each other than are bases of any subsequent pair. Second dorsal fin rays about the same length, except for last which is the shortest dorsal-fin element. Two anal fin spines, shorter than all anal fin rays except the last. Last rays of dorsal and anal fins attached to caudal peduncle by a membrane. Pectoral fins about half the length of pelvic fins.

37

Anal fin rays

15

13

14

Distribution and habitat.—E. australis is probably endemic to the northeastern Brazilian continental shelf area. It was collected at depths between 10 and 30 m over substrates of rubble and sand, in habitats similar to those described by Smith et al. (1998), in which other species of the genus occur. It appears to be an abundant species over its area of occurrence but it has never been observed underwater, the entire type series was collected by trawling. Females were frequently collected in small groups from 3–5 individuals. Males were always alone. Comparisons.—Emblemaria australis best agrees with E. pandionis Evermann and Marsh 1900 in counts and measurements, and was misidentified as the later by Guedes and Barreto-de-Azevedo (1972). The new species is distinct by having the first dorsal spine the longest, at least twice as long as the second, versus the first five dorsal fin spines approximately of the same height in E. pandionis. Moreover, E. australis is smaller (max SL 26.5 mm) and has more palatine teeth (12–15, usually 14) than E. pandionis (max SL 45.2 mm, 10–12 palatine teeth). The only other Atlantic Emblemaria that have three obvious segmented rays in the pelvic fin and lack a flaglike flap on the anterior portion of the dorsal fin are Emblemaria atlantica Jordan and Evermann, 1898, E. biocellata Stephens, 1970 and E. culmensis Stephens, 1970. E. australis differs from these species by having fewer dorsal fin spines (18–20 vs 21–22 in E. atlantica, and 22 in E. biocellata and E. culmensis) and anal fin rays (20–22, usually 21 vs 21–23, usually 23 in E. atlantica, and 24 in E. culmensis). Emblemaria piratula Ginsburg and Reid 1942, and Emblemaria caycedoi Acero 1984, also have high dorsal fins, but E. caycedoi has a flaglike flap on the anterior margin of the dorsal fin (missing in E. australis) and E. piratula has I, 2 obvious pelvic fin rays (vs I, 3 in E. australis). In

98

COPEIA, 2003, NO. 1

addition, females of E. australis have a higher first dorsal fin spine (17.2–35.4% SL) than females of E. caycedoi (8.9–14.8% SL). The only other Atlantic species having an elongated first dorsal fin spine is Emblemaria hyltoni Johnson and Greenfield 1976, but it differs from E. australis mainly by having a deep notch between the third and fourth dorsal fin spines and two obvious segmented pelvic fin rays (versus three in E. australis). Males of E. australis differ from all above-mentioned species by having subdivided supraorbital cirri (Fig. 2; vs simple, bifid or trifid in all other Atlantic Emblemaria species). Relationships.—According to Acero (1984), the genus Emblemaria can be divided into three lineages that he called subgenera: Emblemaria, characterized by three obvious pelvic-fin rays and the lack of a flaglike flap on the anterior portion of the dorsal fin; Psednoblennius, which includes species with a flaglike flap on the dorsal fin and 13 pectoral fin rays; and the caldwelli species complex, containing the species with two obvious segmented pelvic fin rays. The new species described herein agrees with the diagnosis of, and is tentatively placed in the subgenus Emblemaria. SPECIMENS EXAMINED Specimens are arranged alphabetically by genus and species, with type specimens listed first. Values in parenthesis indicate the number of specimens in the lot. Acanthemblemaria maria.—Grand Cayman: UF 17596 (27). Coralliozetus cardonae.—Bahamas: UF 207012 (2). Emblemaria caldwelli.—Bahamas: UF 13409 (4), paratypes; UF 13630 (2), paratypes. Emblemaria caycedoi.—Providence Islands: UF 32669 (1), holotype; UF 25826 (4), paratypes; Venezuela: UF 230147 (2), paratypes. Emblemaria pandionis.—Florida, Gulf of Mexico: UF 47249 (1). Emblemariopsis signifera.—Bahamas: UF 212598 (4); Brazil: UFPB 4284 (3); Grand Cayman: UF 24007 (9). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank N. Menezes, R. Robins, S. L. Jewett and M. Sabaj for curating type material depos-

ited at MZUSP, UF, USNM and ANSP and loaning comparative material. We also thank W. F. Smith-Vaniz for critically reading the manuscript. Funding for LAR was provided by CAPES, Brazilian Ministry of Education. LITERATURE CITED ACERO, A. P. 1984. A new species of Emblemaria (Pisces: Clinidae: Chaenopsinae) from the southwestern Caribbean with comments on two other species of the genus. Bull. Mar. Sci. 35:187–194. BO¨HLKE, J. 1957. The Bahamian species of emblemariid blennies. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phyla. 109:25–57. CARVALHO-FILHO, A. 1999. Peixes: costa brasileira. Editora Melro, Sa˜o Paulo, Brazil. GREENFIELD, D. W. AND R. K. JOHNSON. 1981. The blennioid fishes of Belize and Honduras, Central America, with comments on their systematics, ecology, and distribution (Blenniidae, Chaenopsidae, Labrisomidae, Tripterygiidae). Fieldiana Zool. 8:1–106. GUEDES, D. D. S AND S. BARRETO-DE-AZEVEDO. 1972. Contribution to the study of ichthyology with new occurrences for the State of Pernambuco. Trab. Oceanogr. Univ. Fed. Pernambuco 13:307–315. JOHNSON, R. K. AND D. W. GREENFIELD. 1976. A new chaenopsid fish, Emblemaria hyltoni, from Isla Roatan, Honduras. Fieldiana Zool. 70:13–28. LEVITON, A. E., R. H. GIBBS JR., E. HEAL, AND C. E. DAWSON. 1985. Standards in Herpetology and Ichthyology. Part I. Standard symbolic codes for institutional resource collection in herpetology and ichthyology. Copeia 1985:802–832. SMITH, C. L., J. C. TYLER, H. ANDREYKO AND D. M. TYLER. 1998. Behavioral ecology of the Sailfin Blenny, Emblemaria pandionis (Pisces: Chaenopsidae), in the Caribbean off Belize. Amer. Mus. Novitates 3232:1–40. SMITH-VANIZ, W. F. AND F. J. PALACIOS. 1974. Atlantic fishes of the genus Acanthemblemaria, with description of three new species and comments on Pacific species (Clinidae: Chaenopsidae). Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 125:197–224. STEPHENS, J. S. 1961. A description of a new genus and two new species of chaenopsid blennies from the western Atlantic. Not. Nat. 349:1–8. ———. 1963. A revised classification of the blennioid fishes of the American family Chaenopsidae. Univ. Cal. Publ. Zool. 68:1–165. ———. 1970. Seven new chaenopsid blennies from the western Atlantic. Copeia 1970:280–309.

(RTCR) Universidade FEDERAL DA PARAI´BA, DE´ TICA E ECOLOGIA, PARTAMENTO DE SISTEMA CCEN, JOA˜O PESSOA, PB 58059–900, BRAZIL; (CRR, LAR) UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES, 7922 NW 71st STREET, GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA 32653-3071, USA. E-mail: (LAR) rocha@ mail.ifas.ufl.edu. Send reprint requests to LAR. Submitted: 21 May 2002. Accepted: 12 Sept 2002. Section editor: S. A. Schaefer.