RESEARCH ARTICLE

Pempheris flavicycla, a new pempherid fish from the Indian Ocean, previously identified as P. vanicolensis Cuvier

John E. Randall, Sergey V. Bogorodsky, Tilman J. Alpermann, Ukkrit Satapoomin, Randall D. Mooi & Ahmad O. Mal

Abstract

Pempheris flavicycla is described as a new species of sweeper (Perciformes: Pempheridae) from the Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea. It has a bright yellow ring around the pupil of the eye, a black outer border on the anal and caudal fins, a black spot at the base of the pectoral fins, 38-44 anal soft rays, 54-61 lateral-line scales, and 29-33 gill rakers. It is found in clear-water, coral-reef areas not exposed to heavy seas, and usually in less than 15 m. Two subspecies are recognized: Pempheris flavicycla flavicycla from Oman, Tanzania (type locality Mafia Island), Kenya (Wasini Island), Seychelles, Republic of Maldives, Lakshadweep, Sri Lanka, and islands of the Andaman Sea; and Pempheris flavicycla marisrubri from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Tadjoura off Djibouti. The Red Sea subspecies differs in having a larger eye, longer pectoral fins, more ctenoid scales, the posterior nostril largest, and modally one fewer pectoral-fin rays. Both subspecies have usually been misidentified as Pempheris vanicolensis Cuvier in C. & V. (type locality, Vanikoro Island, Santa Cruz Islands), which differs in having a brownish green iris, no black spot at the base of the pectoral fins, 63-68 lateral-line scales, and 26-29 gill rakers. The range of P. vanicolensis is extended west to Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat Islands, Bali, Sumatra, and the island of Phuket, Thailand in the Andaman Sea.