A New Spitfin Fish from Taiwan

From the bycatch of trawl fishing, we have identified a new species of splitfin fish, Synagrops atrumoris sp. nov. The new species is closely similar to Synagrops japonicus but can be distinguished by its black mouth cavity covering the lower portion of the tongue, posteriorly enlarged and complex basioccipital fossae, a triangular otolith with a strong posterodorsal angle, and strong genetic differences. This species is currently known from the Dongsha Islands, Taiwan, and the South China Sea but can possibly be found south of Scott Reefs, Western Australia, based on some species previously identified as S. japonicus. We also suggested the revision of the genus Synagrops, synonymizing S. bellus with S. japonicus. This study highlights the potential of describing new species from the West Pacific, encouraging more research studies in this region.

Read the full article, published by Zoological Studies, here

Edwin Ariza-Marín's Twitter: @EdwinArizaMarin
Follow Zoological Studies on Twitter @ZooStudies and Facebook