Vol. 63, 2024

(update: 2024.12.6)

A New Deep-water Species of Saurida (Pisces: Synodontidae) from the South China Sea and Central Philippines

Barry C. Russell^1,2,3,4,*, Maria Celia D. Malay^5,6, and Roxanne A. Cabebe-Barnuevo^5,7

¹Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, GPO Box 4646, Darwin NT 0801, Australia.
*Correspondence: E-mail: barry.russell@nt.gov.au (Russell)
²School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina NT 0811, Australia
³Ichthyology, Australian Museum Research Institute, NSW 2010, Australia
⁴Museums Victoria, Melbourne Museum, Victoria 3053, Australia
⁵University of the Philippines Visayas, Miag-ao Iloilo 5023, Philippines
⁶Current affiliation: Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman 1101 Quezon City, Philippines. E-mail: mdmalay@msi.upd.edu.ph (Malay)
⁷Current affiliation: Kagoshima University Museum, Kagoshima, Japan. E-mail: racabebe@up.edu.ph (Cabebe-Barnuevo)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:311E7F57-8867-4CBE-BD50-CD97BC3274EF
Received 22 February 2024 / Accepted 19 July 2024 / Published 6 December 2024
Communicated by Hin-Kiu Mok

A new species of lizardfish, Saurida weijeni sp. nov., from deep water of the outer slope of the North Macclesfield Bank (Zhongsha), South China Sea, and Guimaras Island, Western Visayas region of the Philippines, is described and figured. The new species is distinguished by the following combination of characteristics: dorsal fin with 11–12 rays; pectorals with 13–15 rays; lateral-line scales 49–52; transverse scale rows above the lateral line 3½, below the lateral line 5½; pectoral fins moderately long (extending to or just beyond a line from origin of pelvic fins to origin of dorsal fin); 2 rows of teeth on outer palatines; 0–3 teeth on vomer; tongue with about 3–4 rows of teeth posteriorly; 47–49 vertebrae; caudal peduncle compressed (depth greater than width); anterior part of stomach dusky or black, posterior extension palewhitish, intestine black. Saurida weijeni sp. nov. is genetically distinct from all other species of Saurida.

Key words: Saurida weijeni sp. nov., Macclesfield Bank (Zhongsha), Guimaras Island, Western Visayas region, Philippines

Citation: Russell BC, Malay MCD, Cabebe-Barnuevo RA. 2024. A new deep-water species of Saurida (Pisces: Synodontidae) from the South China Sea and central Philippines. Zool Stud 63:40. doi:10.6620/ZS.2024.63-40.

Supplementary materials: Table S1