The Philippines form a major component of the Indo-Malay-Philippine
Archipelago, which is considered to be a major biodiversity hotspot, with the
highest diversity among coastal marine Fishes seen anywhere in the world, and
many new species described every year. As such the country regularly visited by
scientific vessels from major research organisations, looking for new fish
species in the waters around its many islands, atolls and reefs. However other
scientists have taken to searching the numerous Philippine Fish markets,
looking for undescribed species caught by local fishermen.
In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa on 19 January 2015,
Jeffrey Williams of the Division of Fishes at the Department of Vertebrate Zoology at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution
and Kent Carpenter of the Department of Biological Sciences at Old DominionUniversity, describe a new species of Serranine Perchlet from a specimen
obtained from the Public Fish Market in Iloilo City.
The new species is placed in the genus Chelidoperca, and given the specific name santosi, in honour of the Philippine researcher Mudjekeewis Santos
of the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and
National Fisheries Research and Development Institute in Manila, for his
contributions to the advancement of science in the Philippines and help with
the project which discovered the new species.
The specimen was found in the mouth of a large Grouper, which the
vendor reported had been imported in a consignment of Fish from Palawan. A
subsequent search of specimens in the collections of major museums,
universities and other research institutes found two further specimens in the
collection of Museum Victoria and the National Museum of Natural History of the
Smithsonian Institution.
The new species is a small Perchlet, 69-84 mm in length. It is white
on its underside, with pinkish markings towards the underside. The upper side
is mottled pinkish and yellowish orange, with four dark spots between the eyes
and two on the lower lip. Its fins are white, with yellow markings.
Specimen of Chelidoperca santosi
from the Public Fish Market in Iloilo City, shortly after being discovered. Jeffrey
Williams in Williams & Carpenter (2015).
See also…
A new species of Rabbitfish from southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Rabbitfish (Siganidae) are morphologically conservative Perciforme Fish
found on Coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific Region. They get their name
from their prominent front...
Sweepers (Pempheridae) are small nocturnal Fish found in the...
Anthias (Anthiinae), or are small brightly coloured fish belonging...
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