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Validity and redescription of the poorly known Japanese blenny Alticus orientalis Tomiyama 1955 (Perciformes: Blenniidae)

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Abstract

The poorly known blenny Alticus orientalis Tomiyama 1955 is considered a valid species and redescribed on the basis of 73 specimens (36 males and 37 females), 20.5–83.5 mm in standard length (SL). The species is characterized by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin spines 14 (rarely 13); pectoral-fin rays 15 (very rarely 14 or 16); pelvic-fin rays I, 4; caudal-fin rays 12 (very rarely 11); supraorbital cirrus finely branched (except in specimens < ca. 20 mm SL); canine-like teeth absent on lower jaw; 1–9 small conical teeth on vomer (rarely secondarily lost); 3 (very rarely 2) pores in mandibular series; pre-anal-fin length 37.6–43.2 (mean 40.4) % SL in males, 39.9–46.9 (43.0) % SL in females; caudal-fin length 19.0–24.2 (21.8) % SL in males, 19.7–25.2 (22.4) % SL in females; pre-anal-fin length / caudal-fin length 1.6–2.2 (1.9) in males, 1.8–2.2 (1.9) in females; cheek without black spots; and head and pectoral fin without small black dots. Although A. orientalis is most similar to Alticus montanoi (Sauvage 1880) [all Japanese specimens previously identified as Alticus saliens (Lacepède 1800) are actually this species], it can be distinguished from the latter by the presence of teeth on the vomer, a greater number of pores in the mandibular series, greater pre-anal-fin length, and slightly shorter caudal-fin length. In addition, genetic analysis supports the divergence of A. orientalis from available sequences from other species of Alticus. In Japanese waters, A. orientalis is distributed around (and probably endemic to) the Izu and Ogasawara islands, whereas A. montanoi is distributed in the Ryukyu and Daito islands.

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Acknowledgements

We are especially grateful to J. Williams (USNM) who kindly provided his unpublished data for validity of A. montanoi. We thank H. Endo (BSKU), P. Pruvost, R. Causse, Z. Gabsi, and J. Pfliger (MNHN), M. Nakae and G. Shinohara (NSMT), K. Miyamoto (URM), and K. Sakamoto (ZUMT) for providing opportunities to examine specimens; T. Sasaki (Institute of Boninology, Ogasawara Islands) for providing specimens of A. orientalis for DNA analysis; K. Uchino (KPM) for collecting KPM specimens with photography; and volunteers and students of KAUM for curatorial assistance. G. Hardy (Ngunguru, New Zealand) read the manuscript and provided help with English. This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for JSPS Fellows (DC1: 19J21103); JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP23580259, JP26450265, and 20H03311; the JSPS Core-to-Core Program: B Asia-Africa Science Platforms; the “Biological Properties of Biodiversity Hotspots in Japan” project of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan; “Establishment of Glocal Research and Education Network in the Amami Islands” project of Kagoshima University adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, and the Sumitomo Fund. Malaysian specimens were collected during the JSPS (the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan) Asian Core Program, “Establishment of Research and Education Network on Coastal Marine Science in Southeast Asia”, and the JSPS Core-to-Core Program: B Asia-Africa Science Platforms, supported by the Ministry of Higher Education (Government of Malaysia), University Putra Malaysia, and University Malaysia Terengganu.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan

    Kyoji Fujiwara

  2. The Kagoshima University Museum, 1-21-30 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan

    Kimitatsu Kawama & Hiroyuki Motomura

  3. Department of Marine Biology and Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Tokai University, 5-1-1-1 Minamisawa, Minami-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 005-8601, Japan

    Nozomu Muto

  4. Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History, 499 Iryuda, Odawara, Kanagawa, 250-0031, Japan

    Hiroshi Senou

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  1. Kyoji Fujiwara
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  2. Kimitatsu Kawama
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  4. Hiroshi Senou
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Correspondence to Kyoji Fujiwara.

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Fujiwara, K., Kawama, K., Muto, N. et al. Validity and redescription of the poorly known Japanese blenny Alticus orientalis Tomiyama 1955 (Perciformes: Blenniidae). Ichthyol Res 68, 471–485 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-020-00798-8

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