RESEARCH ARTICLE
Three new species of sand lances
(Perciformes: Ammodytidae)
from the southwest Indian Ocean
John E. Randall & Hitoshi
Ida
Abstract
Protammodytes
ventrolineatus is described as a new species of
sand lance (Ammodytidae) from a single specimen from
a trawl haul in 240 m (the deepest record for the
family) on the Saya de Malha Bank in the southwest
Indian Ocean. It has 36 dorsal-fin rays (the lowest
count in the family), 16 anal-fin rays, ten scales
dorsally on opercle, no teeth in the jaws; a large
eye (6.4% SL), and long pelvic fins (3.75 in HL; the
longest in the genus; absent in most species). We
also describe Bleekeria profunda from a single
specimen taken in the same trawl haul: it has 49 dorsal-fin
rays (other species of the genus with fewer than 43),
16 pectoral-fin rays (other species with 15), teeth
present in the jaws, short pelvic fins (4.2 in HL),
and 151 lateral-line scales (other species with fewer
than 118). The third new species, Bleekeria estuaria,
named for its unusual habitat for an ammodytid, the
Pomene Estuary in Mozambique, has 42 dorsal-fin rays,
15 anal-fin rays, 14 pectoral-fin rays (other species
with 15), a
short head (4.9 in SL vs. 4.75 in SL shortest for
congeners), long pectoral fins (5.7 in SL vs. 7.35
in SL longest for
congeners), no pelvic fins, 99 lateral-line scales,
a single scale dorsally on the preopercle, two scales
dorsally on
the opercle, and teeth present in the jaws.
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CITATION:
Randall, J.E. & Ida,
H. (2014) Three new species of sand lances (Perciformes:
Ammodytidae) from the southwest Indian Ocean. Journal
of the Ocean Science Foundation, 12, 1-11.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1049125
publication date: 18 September
2014
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