A new species of deeper dwelling West Pacific cardinalflsh (Percomorph Apogonidae) with a redescription of Ostorhinchus atrogaster

摘要

A new species of cardinalflsh is described from Palau. A deep-water species from 72 meters on a steep drop off is unlikely to be collected often. This slender species may belong with a group of deeper dwelling cardinalfishes. Fresh post-mortem specimens differ in color pattern from other translucent Ostorhinchus in having a faint yellow midline stripe ending in a diffuse scattering of melanophores forming a basicaudal spot, a yellowish nape stripe above lateral-line scales reaching to near mid-base of the second dorsal fin, melanophores forming a short band along the side of the abdomen from near the anus to below the pectoral-fin base, lower lip and snout dusky. Ostorhinchus atrogaster is redescribed from the type material and differs from the newspecies in dentition on the premaxilla and dentary and having a silvery line above the lateral line to the base of the caudal fin.